2067
by SixThings
Summary: Futuristic, slightly dystopian take on the classic story. LizE Ben works at the Netherfield Institute with her sister Juno. Their job is to help identify and restore native seeds in the wake of crop failures and other environmental disasters due to too much DNA tinkering with plants. A young investor, Chaz Bingley comes to town, interested in helping to fund the Institute.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

It is a truth universally acknowledged that what atrocities humankind has wrought on the world may also be undone.

Many considered that the 21st century to have been mankind's worst years yet on the planet. Certainly, Mother Nature had not taken kindly to the way humans had been treating the planet and ornamented a series of world-wide disasters: crop-failures, environmental disasters, antibiotic resistance and even threw in a good old-fashioned plague in the form of a pandemic virus.

And yet, life was not to be denied and people across the globe carried on. Governments published numerous policies on economic and social topics, business continued to run and families carried on almost exactly as they had been doing for centuries.

"Tom, my dearest, did LizE tell you her news?" Fancy Ben stood over her husband, looking down at him with sparkling eyes.

Her husband grunted and looked up over his comm screen with a quizzical brow. She took this to mean no.

"She's been hired at the Institute! She will be working alongside Juno. I am so excited for her."

"But of course, we always knew she would land there. Only place for her." His dark eyes trailed back to his comm screen, though his ears might still attend her.

"Think of all those well-educated men there, my dear! With this population issue, everyone should marry. And a leg-up for both of the them, if they want to continue working they will have a chance to make good contacts there."

"Juno has been there three years and has not dated any one to my knowledge," he answered his eyes darting around his screen.

"You always have your head in that thing," she indicated the comm and then pulled it from his hands putting it on the table, "I swear you never notice what is going on. There is that nice Alex Morris who has mooned after her for over a year now. We keep waiting for him to get his courage up and ask her out, but I think he is intimidated because she is so very beautiful."

Tom Ben looked up at his wife with his blue eyes dancing. "Now he will need to contend with LizE. She is a force to be reckoned with. Perhaps I should send him a note telling him to go on and ask her out, that he has my permission."

"I don't see why you are always favoring LizE. You have six children, Tom! Six! If you were to pick anyone of those you would think it might be your son, Mark!" She crossed her arms in indignation.

"None of them have shown themselves to be brilliant; we have not created any geniuses. None of them are going to make us any money by founding a science institute of their own and gaining backers and becoming rich that way. They are all going to slave away on these same problems that you and I have been tackling these past twenty plus, almost thirty years."

"How can you be so crass when discussing your children Tom? You always vex me so, oh my nerves. Nose stuck to that screen or wherever your research leads; leaving the raising of the six of them to me. I had hoped we would have gotten beyond such sexist roles these days in the middle of the 21st century."

"There, there, Fancy," he reached up and patted her hand awkwardly. "At the time we were begetting children, algae science was caught up in controversy and soil science was hot. So you raised the kids and I went out and earned the dough."

"All those years in school, only to have politics get in the way," she sat down next to him, putting her elbow on the table and her head in her hand.

"You have done a great job with all of them. Two through graduate school, two at Uni and two in high school. I would say we have plenty to be thankful for," he looked thoughtfully at his comm screen on the small table between them.

"But grandkids!" she slapped her hand down next to the screen making him sit up, "we should have grandkids by now. If I cannot do any work work, I can at least work towards ensuring I get some grandkids."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Tom Ben did seek out his second oldest child to congratulate her. Despite his rough words to Fancy, he was immeasurably proud of LizE. She was outside on their property watching the twins taking a series of complex measurements at one of the greenhouses.

LizE laughed quietly as Mara and Mark clambered over one of the seven greenhouses nestled around the gardens. Measuring lasers lit up large and small lengths of the alloy and glass structure as the meticulous twins took detailed measurements.

"Are you sure you have enough?" LizE teased as Mara measured the inside eave for a second time. Her next youngest sister glared at her with narrowed dark eyes. Most of the family had dark coloring like their mother: dark hair and eyes. Juno and Luna had been blessed, according to Mrs. Ben, with blue eyes—which were rare in the 21st century. "A recessive gene that does not get displayed overly much," Fancy Ben would say. She would worm the fact of it into conversations if she could, "but which we were blessed with. Who knew I had a recessive blue in me?" Tom Ben had blue eyes yet it never seemed to occur to Fancy that the daughters' blue might be their father's, not her recessive blue ones.

Mara and Mark were twins, with Mara beating Mark out of the womb by three minutes. She never let him forget it—that she was older, and that he also had _three_ older sisters. LizE had a soft spot for her only brother and tried her best to shield him from the hysterics that often went on in a household so full of women; and one in which her father was so often absent. It helped too that she had a fondness for being out of doors and up trees or in mud puddles when they were growing up, which made LizE and Mark close companions as children.

The twin bond between Mara and Mark was strong as it often is, despite being of opposite gender. At some moments they seemed to speak a special language between them, one that was often not verbal. Rather than an interest in science, like the other family members, their interest lay in engineering, hence their Uni project on improving the efficiency of greenhouses.

Tom Ben laughed with his second child, enjoying the fresh air and the antics of his third and fourth before he headed back to his desk, his comm screen, and work.

He congratulated LizE formally at dinner, in front of Fancy, as a way of placating his wife.

She sniffed in approval. "You know, dearest Tom, the Netherfield Institute is going to have that Grand Gala in October. What a fine thing! A _party_. The girls can get all dressed up, and Juno," she looked at her oldest who, like her father, had her comm screen sitting next to her at the table with her eyes focused on it, "can forget about work for once, and maybe socialize a bit?"

No one said anything. The two youngest, KitE and Luna, like Juno, were glued to their screens.

"Put those things away!" screeched Fancy and she slapped the table. The teenagers jumped and reluctantly shoved them away from their places at the table. Tom did not even flinch and Juno remained glued to hers.

"Hey Mom! I haven't started work yet. I don't have a comm screen in front of me," placated LizE.

"Well before you get too immersed in work, you need to make sure you get tickets for the Grand Gala! That is going to be quite the local to-do according to Daria Lucas. All the neighbors are going. You should see if you can get extra tickets for your family to attend," she smiled broadly.

"I have no idea what the Gala entails or why I would want to go," answered LizE as she picked through her dinner.

"You should use it to meet your work colleagues and perhaps some of them are handsome young men!" encouraged Fancy.

"Really Mom!"

"Well Juno, do you think _you_ can wrangle some extra tickets for the family?" Fancy asked her oldest.

Juno finished some bit of work before she turned off her comm screen and put it into a bag she had hanging on her chair.

"I can ask," replied Juno. "There have been rumors that some scientist may be visiting the Institute so it may be a little difficult to get extra tickets."

"It might be a good opportunity for the twins to have some exposure to post-Uni life," suggested Tom looking up from his screen.

"The Institute does employ a lot of college-age interns so I think I can get tickets for them," Juno replied.

"That would be cool," replied Mark.

"And educational," continued Mara.

"Dad you should come too, I think there might be some folks from the Central Soil Institute coming up for a visit," Juno continued as she nibbled on her cold dinner. "It really is supposed to be a _Grand_ night for science."

"Huh, I had not heard, perhaps I should comm the main office down south," and he quickly did some searches on his comm screen as Fancy looked on with closed lips, muttering about her nerves.

KitE and Luna moped at their end of the table as they watched their father's fingers on his screen their hands inching towards their own. "Don't even think about it," warned Fancy and they leaned on the table with their heads in their hands.

"We have practically grown up there. Aunt Meg and Uncle Ezra worked there since, like, forever, at least since we've been born," Luna pouted at the table though to no one in particular, "We have been to all the open houses you'd think we would be invited too."

"Well it is a night-time sort of event and with what sounds like all the extra attendees, they will definitely need some of the militia on guard," remarked their father, looking over at the two teenagers with their identical pouts.

"Oh they are dreamy, the militia," said KitE.

"No, savory," said Luna as she looked down at her plate.

"You know, they are a co-ed corps, so you're saying the women officers are dreamy too," remarked LizE as she set down her fork and looked at her two youngest sisters.

"Yes, well, anyone in a uniform is dreamy," sighed Luna and batted her eyelashes to emphasize the fact.

"No, she doesn't mean that, she's got a crush on that Joshua Denny," and KitE knocked Luna's elbow out from under her.

"Oh shut up," yelled the youngest Ben.

"Okay you two, settle down, or go outside and play or something." The two girls rolled their eyes grabbed their comm screens and left.

"So, Juno, any word from Alex Morris?" asked Fancy.

"Mom we work together in the same group, we can't date. Sort of not a good work policy to date people at work anyways, things go wrong, it affects your research, _big disaster_," she took another reluctant bite of food.

"But if you marry, like your father and I?" prompted Fancy.

Juno gave her mother as withering a look as she could muster (which was not much) and which only made Fancy smile.

"Any word on any other big wigs that are to attend?" asked Tom as he scrolled through items on his comm, though he did catch Juno's eye.

"I heard there might be some visiting scientists coming, that was all. You know how political some institutes can get; I suspect they might be coming to look at us, sly-like, to consider moving shop. It can be hard, once you have established yourself (and in particular if you have an original line of research) to move to a different institute since they are all privately funded." Fancy looked more pleased as Juno spoke. Juno continued. "I can understand why they used to be publically funded or underwritten by government grants in the old days. It is can be nice not having to think about the money."

"Yes, but sometimes you never got funding at all. You'd have to beg. Very unpleasant." Tom was looking up from his comm screen and at a point in the middle of the table. "Having the private institutes made it a lot easier to get your research done."

"Yes, but you still need to compete for the money and so often there's politics involved, ugly," remarked Fancy who had the same far-away look. The remaining four children looked at their parents turning almost in tandem from Tom to Fancy. "But now two of your work at Netherfield, and you're helping to contribute to the federal seed bank registry and making a little money and," she paused to catch her breath and smiled, "in a place to meet nice young men!" Her children groaned and dinner was over.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

LizE started work the first Monday in September. Juno and she packed into the tiny electric car and drove the short distance to work happy that their family home and their place of employment were so close. She quickly fell into a routine at work, processing through batches of seeds sent in by field personnel in far-away locales or collected by staff botanists from local trips.

Juno spared her twenty-five minutes for lunch every day and they talked of work or their colleagues. Much to Fancy's annoyance, Juno never mentioned Alex Morris or any other eligible young man to LizE, or brought the topic up at the family dinner table. Fancy did take LizE aside a number of times her first weeks at the Netherfield Institute to ask for insight on Juno's love life but LizE had none to give. Juno was only interested in her work; she had quite a senior position for someone of twenty-eight years of age and it looked likely she would earn the equivalency of tenure with the Institute in record time.

LizE was spending her time at work in different ways. She used every excuse she could to poke into every office, every lab, and every greenhouse of the Institute and to meet as many employees as possible. Her impressions of the people at the Institute were of individuals like Juno: hard-working, dedicated and devoted to the Institute's mission to identify, store and distribute native plants and seeds.

The topic of the Grand Gala was discussed by everyone at work and LizE discovered that she did indeed have tickets to the event as an Institute employee. She felt like no one could expect her to bring a real date (she had spent so long at Uni and in graduate school she never had time for boyfriends beyond some dates here and there) but her friend LotE Lucas was more than happy to go with her.

* * *

The Grand Gala was not until the second week of October and the Institute had been decorated with a Harvest theme, with subtle autumn colors decorating the walls and tables for all that they could be seen in the evening lighting. The Netherfield Institute was packed with people but not all of them where on the guest list. Fancy Ben and her two youngest children did not manage to get on the invite list for all that Fancy worked hard at it. She supposed that Tom had received an invitation and, by extension, had tickets, but he insisted he had not nor was he going to attend for all that his fellow soil science colleagues might be there.

So Fancy, KitE, and Luna showed up at the Gala claimed Juno as their sponsor and were admitted with no fuss. Most everybody knew everyone. The local area was small and no one really commuted a long distance to the Institute (a few people even lived in on-site dormitories). Most everyone knew that some of the Ben family members were gate-crashing but they were not the only ones, some of the younger Lucas sons showed up, and all three of the Goulding teenagers did.

A new visitor was definitely expected. Juno's team member Edi had met him earlier in the day and kept saying on how handsome he was so Juno looked forward to meeting him. Edi was not usually one to comment about men; she and Juno were quite alike in their love of, and devotion to, work.

Juno, Edi, LizE and LotE all stood together with drinks in their hands. None were used to drinking socially and their collected posture said as much as they held their three wine glasses and a beer bottle with overly cautious fingers.

"His name is Chaz Bingley. He is an investor, not a scientist," Edi Long was explaining as she swirled her wine glass. "He met with two of the board members this morning, and then the director in the afternoon."

"So, he is very rich then if he wants to invest in the Institute," said LotE.

"He must be if he got Mr. Nishino's attention," said LizE, "everyone knows he never comes into the Institute but just takes comms from home."

"But he's not a scientist, just some dumb rich guy," commented Juno with a down-turned mouth.

"You never know, maybe he's a smart rich guy, sweetie, that would really make Mom happy," joked LizE, "and you would still have someone decent to come home and talk to!" She sniggered and the others joined in. LizE managed to spill some of her beer on her pants leg which cracked her up even more.

Whispers went through the room and despite the crowd, and the poor lighting (the Institute was not designed to be lit or used at night) they knew that the honored guest had arrived.

"There goes my father," and LotE pointed with her wine glass, slopping some out onto the floor. Darren Lucas was obvious in his bright green jacket, one of his signature favorites, as he made an effort to get through the crowd to the front hallway. "He loves greetings all newcomers though I think he takes the retired politician thing a little too far. It's not like he was ever the Meryton mayor or anything and represents the local area."

"But your father feels responsible and is so warm and inviting, that counts for a lot," said Juno.

"I wouldn't discount being a state senator LotE, as a small thing," added LizE.

"Yes, but it made him think he did not have to spend any time in his shop," and LotE frowned, "like his business would run itself."

They watched the man in green greet a circle of people, three gentlemen and two ladies.

"Is he a real redhead?" they heard Juno in a whisper.

"Yes, the redheaded man is Mr. Bingley," said Edi.

"Red hair is a recessive trait; I thought there weren't any redheads left," said Juno looking at Chaz Bingley from across the room.

"I wonder who the others are with him? Other investors? Friends? Family?" asked LizE.

"I suppose it must be a girlfriend with him," announced Juno, "him being so rich and all."

"One of the women has reddish hair too, do you suppose it's a relative?" asked LotE. "Hers is not as striking as his."

"No, his is a magnificent shade," said Juno in a soft voice.

They watched in silence for many minutes as Darren Lucas introduced various locals to Mr. Bingley and his guests.

"Mr. Bingley seems cheerful, you can see him smile all the way across the room," said Juno, "look how animated he looks talking to your father LotE." She did not turn to look at her friend, but kept her eyes, as they all did, as so many in the room did, on the small group of well-dressed people.

"I thought him very tall, but look at that other man, the very dark one, he's half a head taller," said Edi.

"I wonder who he is?" LotE said voicing the question three of them were now considering.

"He is good looking," said LizE, "but rather stiff. Doesn't seem to have said a word besides hello, I don't think he really wants to be here."

"He's well-dressed, those are expensive duds," Edi said smiling.

"How in the _world_ can you tell from here?" demanded LizE raising her voice. A few neighbors turned to look at the women.

"I guess I can tell quality, even in poor lighting. Come on J, let's go say hello," and she hooked her arm through her friend's and they pushed their way towards the man of the hour.

"Do people turn into idiots when they smell money?" asked LizE as she turned to LotE. She attempted a sip of her beer, but it was flat and warm and she pulled a face.

"That bad huh," asked LotE. She took the beer and set it on the floor next to the wall. "Perhaps you and your sister are the only two women here who are not beset by hormones? You and Juno were both so focused on school and then on work that you never talked about men. Sometimes we women like to admire members of the opposite sex."

"Not you too LotE," and LizE crossed her arms over her chest.

"People have been pair-bonding for thousands of years LizE, I don't see what the issue is for you. And with the population decline since the 40's we should feel obligated to at least have kids."

"I think that we don't all have to get married or have kids or _pair-bond_, as you call it. We both come from big families. We have enough siblings to do that for us, and if we are not inclined to 'pair-bond,'" and she held her fingers up to air quote the word, "then we shouldn't. The world got into a lot of trouble with the population rising so fast and not being able to sustain itself. I don't see that we should be in such a big hurry to replace it since it tanked."

"Perhaps you'll feel differently if you met the right man to pair-bond with?" said LotE as she drained the last sip of wine and then stepped backwards and knocked over LizE's bottle spilling the last of its contents.

"You sound like Fancy, and are you sure that is your first drink?" LizE smiled and put her arm around her friend's waist. They escaped from their corner and hoped no one noticed their indiscretion as they left the beer bottle and the mess.

* * *

There was dancing in one of the corners of the largest conference room. A small area had been designated, and some special flooring had been laid down, where people danced. It appeared, as LizE approached, that Mara and Mark were running the electronics, which made her cringe. Their curiosity often led them to experiment to the point of destruction.

No one over thirty was dancing and it was mostly the new hires and the Uni interns and all of the teens.

Armed with fresh drinks, LizE and LotE watched their teenage siblings dance wondering at the extent of alcohol the teenagers might have been able to sneak from the bar. There was no real pairing up of couples but all the kids danced in one big group.

"Is my brother dancing with your sister?" asked LotE as she drained her wine glass again.

"Which sister? I think they are all dancing together. Perhaps Maria is dancing with Luna," and she pointed, "and John is dancing with KitE, it is hard to tell." She looked into her bottle. "I think we should not be drinking so much." LizE turned and put her beer bottle on a small, high table that held many other discarded glasses and containers. She wondered at the extent that the two beers had made her feel so light-headed. LotE had consumed more alcohol but did not seem to be feeling, or showing, the effects as much.

"I am going to go get some water," LizE called over her shoulder and she trailed off to the bar. A small pool of people was in front and she waited patiently while the two bartenders, a short man and a taller woman, passed over drinks, conveniently forgetting to check IDs. LizE pursed her lips as she considered that Luna and KitE were smart enough to have noticed and probably had finagled a beer or two.

"No French varietals at all?" She was roused from her thoughts by a deep voice. A tall back in front of her stood stiff, his hands on the cold steel counter.

"No sir."

"Not even a champagne, a real champagne? From the Champagne region" and he pronounced the word with what must have been an exquisite accent.

"Sorry, sir," said the bartender. Her voice and demeanor did not indicate her contrition.

"You are rather rude," said the man leaning in towards the bartender.

LizE nudged beside him. "Look, your highness, this is California. We have wines to rival anything the French can grow, have you ever considered giving one of them a try?" The bartender gave her a smirky smile, and then schooled her face.

"I have only ever drunk French wine," he looked down at her with furled brows but with an otherwise unreadable face.

"Perhaps you ought to get down off your throne and consider trying what the little people drink. Might be tainted, might make you sick." She leaned in closer to him. He stood his ground. "You know what, _we_ don't want to share. Don't you ever drink California wine, ever!" She slapped the counter. "It's our treasure. It's our local pride, our glory, our… "she faltered, racking her brains for more synonyms.

"Madam, you can be _assured_ that I never will." And he turned abruptly and walked away.

"Oh boy!" LizE turned and leaned her back against the counter and watched him fade into the crowd. She turned back to the bartender. "Water, I came for water."

"Thanks, that was quite a show you put on." The bartender popped a glass in front of LizE and filled it with water. "I can't believe that guy only drinks French wine. He didn't sound foreign, sounded like a regular American to me."

"That was Mr. Derby or something like that, came with Mr. Bingley. They're investing in the Institute," said a man on the other side of LizE.

"Darcy, his name is Darcy, owns Darcy Rail," said Mr. Robinson, who owned one of the shops in town and was on LizE's left.

"I just insulted the owner of Darcy Rail?" said LizE who had heard of the powerful transportation empire that was Darcy Rail.

"It was so worth it," said the bartender.

"My god, he was so rude," said the one man.

"'Highness,' that was a great insult," said Mr. Robinson, "that was fitting, would have been even better if he was some airplane magnate," and he laughed.

LizE gulped down her water, had it refilled, then went back in search of LotE. By the time she reached her friend, who was still by the dance floor, she had decided that Mr. Darcy was rude, ridiculous, and disagreeable but that the whole incident was actually quite funny. The funniest point was that LizE did not actually drink wine. And she joked with LotE that she might actually have to begin. LotE was a little shaken when she discovered who it was that LizE had threatened, but LizE assured her that she had no reason to ever see him again, he did not know her name, and he deserved what he got.

"Why do you suppose Alex is moping about like that?" said a mischievous and taunting voice near them. Edi pounced on them then putting her hands around both of their waists to pull them close. "It's because he is jealous with a capital J about our J." Edi had imbibed perhaps a little too much California wine, but they turned to look at poor, morose Alejandro Morris. His back pressed against the wall, he looked like a child whose favorite toy had been smashed.

Juno was dancing. And not dancing in some snake-pit ball like the teenagers and the Uni students. Mr. Bingley had his hand on her waist and his other hand in hers and they appeared to be attempting to waltz against music that had no regular beat. LizE gasped to see Juno dancing and perhaps even blushing if there had been enough light to betray the color on her cheeks. Chaz Bingley kept twirling them around the floor in a 3-step movement despite the ravages of music and lights that Mara and Mark kept pounding across the floor and through the air and over the ceiling.

"Smoke!" someone yelled, and then the lights over the dance floor cut out. Then the music stopped. And the dancers stopped. All except Chaz and Juno who now kept waltzing around the floor, their feet creating music, heels on a wooden floor.

"One, two, three...One, two, three," called out someone. LizE suspected it was her mother, and the crowd picked up the chant and the pair danced around the floor for a few more rotations before he twirled her under his arm and then bowed to her. The whole room burst into applause.

Juno began fanning her face, partially from the heat, mostly from embarrassment. Spying LizE she ran to her sister, with Chaz following behind.

"LizE, this is Chaz Bingley. Chaz, this is my sister LizE. She works at Netherfield."

Chaz Bingley was handsome. His dark red hair was striking, LizE would allow him that. More than his face and his hair was his stunning smile, which radiated from gorgeous white teeth that LizE suspected were real and not expensive fakes. He said his hellos to LizE as if greeting her after a long absence, and not as if he was just meeting her for the first time.

"Do come and meet the family," and he grabbed LizE's hand in a familiar gesture, took Juno's hand with the other as if hand-holding were natural with strangers and dragged them off, all the while talking about what a wonderful time he had had that evening. "Best party I've been to all year." And he smiled down at Juno who had said nothing while Chaz talked and pestered LizE with questions about her work.

"Ah, there she is," and playfully tugged at their hands. "Lois, you've met Juno but here's one of her sisters, LizE. LizE, this is my sister Lois, and her husband Kai Hurst. They've come to see me through this venture. We're all sharing some nice house she found for me while we work out all those T&amp;C s." He let go of LizE's hand as he gestured at his sister and brother-in-law.

"T&amp;Cs?" LizE raised an eyebrow while she shook Lois's hand.

"Ah, you're a scientist, not a business woman. Terms and Conditions. T&amp;Cs…" and he smiled, looking not at LizE but at Juno. He recollected himself and looked around the assembled group. "LizE is a scientist," Chaz prompted.

"How interesting," said Lois. Though like the bartender, her words and her tone of voice did not match.

"Oh yes, interesting," Kai stifled a yawn. "So where is Darcy?"

"Oh he grumbled about the lack of quality drinks and anything interesting to do," replied Chaz. "He can fend for himself. I will not let him cut short this evening. He has Caro to keep him busy; they can get some work done in an unused conference room."

"But you are going to want to go eventually?" prompted Lois Hurst.

"Oh not for ages; it's early yet," and he looked at Juno.

"I think they may be shutting things down soon," warned LizE who looked at the thinning crowds. Especially after the dance finale from Chaz and Juno, people seemed to feel it was time to go home and a stream of bodies was moving towards the door.

"I think perhaps I may need to throw a party of my own before I quit the area," and he smiled again at Juno who smiled back. LizE noticed that they were still holding hands. Lois kept glancing at the clasped hands too.

Juno yawned and brought her free hand up to cover her mouth. "Excuse me, perhaps I am tired. We should all go together, you know LizE, since Mom drove Bob, in case he misbehaves."

"Who is Bob?" asked Chaz, searching Juno's face as if to find the answer there.

LizE laughed before answering. "Bob is our old biofuel car. I think he is older than Juno. He used to run on ethanol before corn failed but Dad jiggered him to run on other biofuels. He is not reliable at all but we don't often all need to go somewhere, especially at night. And…" She looked at Juno who was staring intently at her. "And I think I'll go find out if everyone is almost ready to leave," she said quick goodbyes to Chaz and his family and went to find her own.

In rounding up her siblings, LizE wished she could find her friend to discuss this new Juno. She had never had her sister make those staring, googly eyes at her that so obviously said, 'shut up and go away' before. Not in all their middle school, high school and Uni years had Juno ever looked at LizE as the annoying little sister. They had far too many other sisters to do _that_; Juno had never had to be cross with LizE.

Her family in tow, Mr. Bingley parted from Juno with a sweet handshake for each family member. They all crammed into their two vehicles and safely made it home, Bob only hiccupping slightly on the way home and giving LizE a chance to tell her story of Mr. Darcy.

Fancy could not wait to sing Chaz Bingley's praises and tackled Tom who was up in his study, oblivious to the time. She poured out her heart about her hopes for Juno to her husband. "Oh, you should see that hair of his, think, her blue eyes, and his red hair, what our grandchildren would look like!"

"You can contemplate such a thing from their having met once?"

"Oh, but you did not see them dance, Tom, it was the most romantic thing. Everyone was doing all that modern light and sound and whirling about, and he takes her out and," but Tom Ben interrupted her and asked for an overview of the evening, not a minute account of it.

"They are meant for each other, just like you and I were, think of our Uni days, when dormitories were crowded, old Professor Burke's class, how we would sneak into the lab…" she kissed the top of his head and he patted her hand and smiled.

She related, with a lot of bitterness, and perhaps some exaggeration, the rudeness of Mr. Darcy.

"I can assure you," she added, "that LizE did the right thing jumping in there for all that he is so rich. There is nothing to be gained by getting along with that man for he is a most disagreeable, horrid man, not at all worth pleasing. He is so conceited that there was no enduring him. Wouldn't drink anything but French wines indeed! I am sure, if you had been there, you would have given him an even better set-down!"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Once they escaped the clutches of their mother, LizE dragged Juno to the old rumpus room where they had played as children and which had a small kitchenette. She boiled water for some herbal tea. Juno hummed softly in ¾ time dancing on her tip toes until LizE placed chamomile tea in her hands while she took a quick sip of her own mint and motioned her to the lone couch.

LizE began, "sister of mine, you've had your nose to research and your eyes on tenure since the first day you visited Aunt Meg in her lab as a teenager, I have never known you to be distracted by a _young man _before. And yet tonight I _did not_ recognize you."

"He is just what you read about in books," responded Juno. "He is down-to-earth, happy, yet zippy."

"Zippy?"

"Zippy, alive. I'm a scientist, not an English major. He seems wonderful. I fear I must recant what I said about men of business."

"He is also handsome, you would have beautiful children," teased LizE.

Juno blushed. "Pshaw. But can I say how he makes me feel, LizE, I've never had anyone make me feel like that, when we were twirling around, I was so alive and happy and excited inside. I've never done anything like that. And I didn't mind that anyone was watching."

"Your dance was quite the to-do. It was quite a different activity for you the quiet lab nerd."

"It wasn't our first one either," Juno leaned forward. "We did a fox trot the first time."

"What kind of a school did he go to that he learned such moves?" exclaimed LizE; she softened, "But you could see how much he liked you. You can never fault anyone who likes you," she sipped more tea.

"I am surprised," Juno said, leaning back and sipping her tea as well.

"Surprised? Surprised at what? Why?"

"I guess I am surprised because it's the first time I have been attracted _back_. All those years of moony men following me around and Fancy encouraging them but never once have I given any of them a second thought," she stuck out her bottom lip.

"Are you ready to take such a step? Such an adventure?" LizE looked at her sister, still seeing her from a different perspective, and not quite finding some internal alignment for it. She sighed and looked at Juno, her one stable ship when the whole sea of her life ever went crazy, which in their house often was an everyday occurrence. "It is natural to me that any man, any _one_, would value you. And you always like everyone in return. I think that is why men never get the hint and go away."

"LizE!"

"You are too apt, you know, to like people in general. You never find fault in anybody. I have never heard you speak ill of a human being in my life," her brows were furrowed as she tried to look sternly at Juno, not that she could ever argue with her on such a point.

"I always say what I think," Juno looked equally as serious.

"I know you do! You take the good of everybody's character and are able to tease out all the points that make it even better and say nothing of the bad. To be honestly blind to the faults and nonsense of others, such a trait belongs to you and only you," she saluted her big sister with her tea mug. "But what about his sister, Lois, his brother-in-law? They were a little short with us you must admit."

"Perhaps, but when _you_ met them, but it was the end of the evening; I cannot blame them for being tired and wishing to be home. Wasn't it even you who said everyone was leaving? They were far nicer at the beginning of the evening. _And_ you've not met Caro. She is delightful," Juno was looking tired, sinking down even further on the ratty old couch that had been jumped on by all six of the Ben children.

"Who is Caro?" LizE stretched her legs out over her sister's.

"She's Darcy's lieutenant of sorts or steward, operations veep I think; she helps to run his business," Juno yawned and then eyed LizE's toes.

"Oh! J! I forgot to tell you about Darcy, you drove the electric car home with the twins!" LizE sat up and pulled her feet from Juno's fingers. "You're not going to keep seeing this Chaz Bingley are you? Might I run into this Mr. Darcy again?" Juno really blushed this time and had to admit that she did want to see him again. It had been one thing to talk about him, objectively, but another to openly admit to want to see him again.

LizE, in her turn, shared her story about her run-in with Mr. Darcy and expressed the hope that Juno's seeing or dating, Chaz Bingley might not mean that LizE had to ever run into the owner of Darcy Rail again.

* * *

The Bingley fortune had been acquired when the public utilities had been slowly privatized over the previous thirty years and those who had capital and the wherewithal to invest it did so and made money from the venture.

The Bingley family did not wish to always be associated with the privatization efforts since there were those who still felt that the public utilities should never have been privatized. Chaz was continually seeking new ways to diversity his wealth, which led him to the opportunity to invest in the Netherfield Institute.

Lois, though the older sibling, cared more for spending than saving and left investments to her younger brother who had more of their father's business sense. Kai Hurst's family had made money in the technology boom back in the days of Silicon Valley's reign but they were rapidly losing money having invested in land in California, a lot of which lost value when the population tanked and people fled large cities for more bucolic, less urban areas. Both Kai and Lois enjoyed living the good life, and whatever entrance to a good life that Lois's money could afford, but were happy enough to follow Chaz around as his business ventures opened doors, and as Chaz so often footed the bill.

Between Charles Bingley and William Darcy there was a strong friendship even though there was such a difference of personality. Darcy cared for Chaz because Chaz was candid, open, mellow and good-humored, even though such character traits contrasted sharply with his own. Chaz regarded Darcy greatly, consulting him on matters large and small and relying on his judgment to a high degree. Darcy was intelligent and clever, but his education, training and experiences in life had created a man whose personality was distant and arrogant and whose perfectionist tendencies put off many. Chaz Bingley's warm smile was an invitation. Darcy's sneer was a deterrent.

In reviewing the Gala, as they sat drinking French wine in the glassed-in patio that a previous owner thought might resemble a conservatory, but which bore no such resemblance, Chaz Bingley thought he had never been to a better party, met more wonderful people, and thought he was going to be quite happy with his investment especially with Juno Ben working there to provide some interesting diversions. Darcy, in contrast, had seen a group of people for whom he felt little interest and for whom he could do nothing but hope to avoid as much as possible. Not one person had stood out to him to be of any caliber. He had not had any fun at the Gala. Juno Ben he would acknowledge as 'pretty,' but pleaded that Chaz contemplate her beauty in silence.

Lois said she was sweet, remembering the clasped hands (and other fair faces, in other places that had distracted her brother). She declared that while they were in town, Juno Ben might be someone worth knowing.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

While the Ben family had been in the area for many generations, the Lucas family had put down roots for only one.

Darren Lucas had done well in his import/export store (especially because of the proximity to Asia from the West Coast) but the praise he received from most of his brood and extended family and friends for being a politician made him wish for more. If not for LotE he would have quit the store entirely but she felt the needs of their family of nine, which required capital like all other families, and pushed him to not abandon it entirely. He kept the store open and running though his desire in life was to simply be gracious and polite to anyone he happened upon. Mr. Lucas retired leaving the store to LotE and any other of his children who wished to help over-see the company and moved his brood to a large house in the Meryton area which he, and the locals, fondly called Lucas Lodge.

Darren and Daria's brood of seven included LotE, LizE's friend, who, though older than LizE by several years, was still a close friend. Daria, her daughter and her teenaged children came for a visit the weekend after the Gala and the families sat outside in the sun on the large paved patio at the Ben house under the huge awning. The teenagers sat more engrossed with technological gadgets than with the flow of conversation.

There was a lot of talk about a cyborg that had been apparently been spotted while they had all been enjoying the Gala.

"I do not believe we have ever had reports of one so close to town. Why the Institute is only just three miles from the town center," said Daria in a worried tone.

"Do we know where they spotted him?" asked Fancy.

"How do we even know it was a _him_?" asked John Lucas looking up from his screen.

"Colonel Forster said in her comm to all the residents that the person they thought was a cyborg was up in the hills, miles away from town, and the Institute is in the opposite direction," explained Mark in his practical, engineering voice. "We were miles away from the whole incident, so we weren't in any danger."

"I still think it is so very unnerving that someone like a cyborg might be spotted anywhere out here. That sort of thing goes on in the cities, not out here," argued Daria Lucas.

"Aren't cyborgs part-people," asked one of the younger Lucases.

"They are part machines too, dear. All this nonsense with governments meddling where they oughtn't, and people selling body parts and folks catching all sorts of viruses from who knows where. You don't know if cyborgs are carriers of some nasty plague bug or not. Why do you think Mother Nature has thrown up her hands and seems to be trying to kill us all, cull the human population? How many people a year die from antibiotic resistance? Isn't it in the millions now?" Daria was leaning forward in her chair, her hands in the air, illustrating her points.

"Mom, we've explained before that…," broke in LotE.

"You'll not talk me out of worrying about the cyborgs," her mother interrupted her. "I won't abide them in my neighborhood," she shook a finger at LotE.

"So what did you think of the Gala LotE? Did you enjoy yourself? Aren't you glad that LizE got you a ticket?" asked Fancy attempting to turn the conversation to a more pleasant one. It was an interesting day when Fancy Ben had to turn the conversation from Daria Lucas, and not someone else (usually one of her children) diverting Fancy.

"Yes, LizE and I had an interesting time," replied LotE. "But I think Juno might be said to have had the best time of all."

"I suppose you mean because of the dancing. That Chaz Bingley did seem as if he liked her, very much. I even think I heard something about him saying so to one of the guests—something Mr. Robinson said?"

"You mean what I overhead between him and Mr. Robinson," answered LotE. "How Mr. R. asked him how did he like the Gala and whether there were any pretty women and which he thought was the prettiest? and Mr. Bingley answering, 'Oh Juno, beyond a doubt; she is a goddess.' "

"Well that is quite to the point, I am sure he will be calling her up for a date in the next day or two," Fancy said with a rather smug smile on her face and happy to have made her point at last. "Though you never know, it could have been all that good wine that Ms. Turnbull provided and he was just talking through his hat and it won't come to anything."

"What I overheard was far more pleasant than what LizE overheard," said LotE. "Oh what a kerfuffle that was at the bar last night, poor LizE!"

"Why? What happened?" asked Mark, looking back up from his screen. LizE repeated the story of Mr. Darcy's tantrum about French wine. He looked at her with serious concern in his eyes after she finished her tale.

"You should not feel bad LizE about his being such a disagreeable, rude man," said Fancy. "It would be a misfortune to have him like you or even talk to you again. Rumor is that Darcy fellow isn't to stay long, so he will just go away again and no one will have to put up with his behavior any more. Why he stood next to Helia Long for twenty minutes and never said a word to her at the Gala. How can you come to a party and not talk to people?"

"Are you sure Mom? I thought I saw them speaking as Chaz and I were approaching. Charles wanted to introduce me to Mr. Darcy," remarked Juno.

"Yes I'm sure, because she did at last ask him how he liked the Institute and the Gala and he could not help answering her without being _completely_ rude; but she said he seemed very angry at having to even open his mouth."

"Caro said," put in Juno, "that he never speaks much unless he really knows people well. With his close friends he is really nice."

"I don't believe a word of it. If he had one tiny bit of kindness he would have said something to Helia or any of the hundred other people there last night and not been so rude to LizE and that bartender," she looked around at her audience to see who agreed with her. "He is overly proud, a snob, thinks he is better than us because of his money and puts no value in the fact that most of us are probably far more brilliant than he is. Alas, such is the way of things these days; the way things always have been. Money talks and it makes people feel important, better than other people."

"I don't mind him not talking to Helia," said Mark, "but I wish he had not been so rude to our LizE."

"I would just avoid him altogether sweetie," said Fancy.

"I assure you Mom, that I will," answered her daughter.

"His pride," said LotE, "doesn't put me off as much as it seems to offend the rest of you. I think I can argue that there is an excuse for it. A man with such business connections, such a fortune, such a place in the world, with everything in his favor might be able to think well of himself. If I may state it, he has a _right_ to be proud."

"That may be true," replied LizE, "and I might forgive him for having money and liking what he sees in the mirror, for being _proud_, had he not be such an arrogant …"

"LizE watch your tongue," interrupted her mother, turning to give her a mother's eye stare-down.

"Pride," said Mara," is a common fault. We are all selfish creatures and barely think beyond the end of our noses, or perhaps our comm screens. We all indulge in the mirror-watching, as LizE says, though vanity and pride are different things. Pride is more our opinion of ourselves; vanity is what we want others to think about us."

"If I were as rich as this Mr. Darcy," cried young Leo Lucas, "I should not care how proud I was. I would spend my money as I choose and drink a bottle of French wine every day."

"I think that F.I.D. band really is too tight, it's affecting your judgment," remarked Daria. "He's grown so much, we need to go up to Colma to get it adjusted you know," she explained, though no one followed her reasoning.

"How does something he wears on his wrist cloud his brain Mom?" asked John Lucas who looked equally puzzled as everyone else.

"It's like it's cutting off the circulation to his brain. No one can drink a whole bottle of French wine in a day, that's nonsense." No one decided to point out to Mrs. Lucas that it was entirely possible to do just that, drink that much wine, except her youngest.

"But Mom, I could, I know I could," protested Leo. At ten, and being the youngest, he had an enthusiasm for argument and did not give it up and continued to argue about how much alcohol a person could consume in one day for the rest of the afternoon and all the way home.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The two Bens returned to work on Monday morning, one of them ready for the routine of thing, happy to be tackling the next batch of seeds even if her results were not promising. Juno was more distracted for the first time in her working career.

Before lunch a short comm was sent to Juno saying she "would love to provide lunch for them and would be arriving at noon." It was from Lois Hurst. She arrived with a wicker hamper (an old-fashioned looking thing) filled with food. One of the interns carried it behind her as she and Juno stood in a hallway and worked out where to eat finally deciding to eat on the covered patio outside. LizE was invited too, Lois assuring them that Nicholls had packed more than enough for three. LizE felt like they had been whisked back in time, eating lunch on china plates out of a wicker hamper; as if perhaps they should be wearing petticoats and holding parasols. The food was fabulous.

The same intern escorted a blond woman with expensive sunglasses out to the patio. Lois introduced Caro Van Hale to LizE. She stayed for lunch as well.

Chaz called Juno that evening and showed up with a smaller hamper, just for two, the next day for lunch. LizE ate alone for the first time since she started working at the Netherfield Institute. The rest of the week, LizE ate alone as well, as either Chaz, or Chaz and Lois, showed up to provide Juno with lunch. Juno was pleased with the attention from Charles, his sister and even Caro Van Hale who came again for lunch whenever Darcy could spare her.

Lois said she was 'between jobs.' Caro would finally tell Juno that she never actually had one but just liked to use that as an excuse as it sounded better than having never worked a day in her life. Lois was bored with the current arrangement, this visit to the Netherfield Institute for business reasons, so she was enjoying the luncheons with Juno. It gave her something to do during the day.

* * *

On the weekend, Chaz came by the Ben house to collect Juno for a dinner at his house. Lois came along for the ride and Fancy tried to convince her to stay, much to Lois' disgust, though Fancy did not seem to notice. Fancy rattled on about letting 'the two love birds' have time alone seeming to forget that there were others that lived in the rented house with Chaz and his sister.

Lois Hurst was horrified at the prospect of a family dinner at the Ben house and extracted herself from the situation with words that were border-line rude. Fancy then tried to get LizE and a few of the other Ben daughters invited over for dinner but Chaz extracted himself, with his date and his sister, with more tact than his sibling had ten minutes before.

Juno bore all her mother's enthusiasm and even the Netherfield Institute's staff's teasing with a certain amount of determination. She maintained her focused scientist façade most of the time at work not letting the inner excitement about the blossoming of her relationship with Chaz show on her face or in the set of her body.

LizE noticed this and thought it the perfect way to balance the impertinent comments and gests of co-workers, acquaintances and even friends. She mentioned this to LotE.

"It is, perhaps, a good thing to hide from the impertinent comments of people. Lord knows, I am the oldest of seven and would have loved to shut up some of my brothers. But what if it is really a disadvantage to be so guarded about showing your feelings. What if Juno is also concealing how she feels from Chaz Bingley? He may finish up his project with the Institute and be done and leave your sister in the lurch, having only five-star memories of those hamper lunches."

"Well there is no real place to eat besides the Turnbull Cafe in town. I doubt Mr. Charles A. Bingley, Esq. would consider that as a suitable place for a luncheon date."

"A slight preference, a crush, which he no doubt has, is a good starting place, but how often do any of us continue our pursuit of another without encouragement? Consider poor Alex Morris. We all know he has been moping after your sister yet he keeps at bay because she does not encourage him."

"This is the first time she has really been in love. Juno has no real idea of how to proceed, what to do. She does encourage him; she is alive with interest for him whenever they are together. It's like she's been put under some sort of enchantment she's so different. If I can see it, he has to!"

"He does not know her as well, LizE," remarked her friend. "You have years more than he of his experience of the human being that is Juno Ben."

"But she is quite smitten with him. He must be able to tell!"

"Has he really had a chance? He's as much of a workaholic as she. I heard, according to Helia and Edi Long, he's been going through paperwork at the Institute."

"Yes. She actually rarely sees him at work, just the occasional lunch, though I do think he comms her at night sometimes. She closets herself in her room (like she always did) though now I hear her talking."

"You see. Juno should make the most of every one of those lunches and comms."

"Juno is not sure what she wants; she is just enjoying his company right now. It's been two weeks since the Gala and they've had lunch most days he can, otherwise he sends his sister. Some people take years to get to know each other. What else is she supposed to do? What is their end game supposed to be?"

"She had best use her time doing more than determining what he likes to eat if she has only his limited attention. What are his interests are they compatible with hers, that sort of thing."

"She's said they've talked about stuff, interests, you know, first date topics."

"Well I wish her success in whatever she wants to do," remarked LotE, "and towards a successful 'end game' whatever that may be."

* * *

It had been at the third luncheon that Chaz Bingley dragged his friend Will Darcy in from the conference room they were using as an office to say hello to Juno and her sister LizE.

Chaz did the introductions missing the odd mix of emotions that crossed Darcy's face as he recognized the woman from the Gala. LizE held her tongue, acknowledged the introduction, declined his business-man handshake and also declined staying for lunch leaving Chaz and Juno to pick through the hamper as Darcy followed her from the room as well though they turned in opposite directions.

His comments to Caro Van Hale were not flattering. He related to Caro the incident at the Gala, emphasizing LizE's cheek at the bar and deconstructing her looks. "And Chaz saying all of Ms. Ben's sisters were pretty. Ha! Look at your cheekbones, Caro, they are far superior. She has dark hair, yours are golden tresses. For sure, Juno Ben is pretty, but I cannot say the same for her sister: a shorter, darker, less attractive version."

Over the next few days it seemed as if he could not help but run into LizE Ben. He saw her early in the morning as he and Chaz arrived at the same moment as the sisters in the parking lot. There were random moments in the hallways. At the luncheon breaks that Chaz would drag him and Caro to and once, even, an awkward scene when they physically ran into each other at a corner coming from opposite directions, and where her comm screen was knocked out of her hands. He returned it, apologized for the incident and the two went back to their respective work stations.

After a week spent criticizing LizE Ben to Caro and any others in the house that would listen, he had run through all the points he could consider criticizing many times through when he was struck, during that physical altercation, with the depths of intelligence to be found in her dark eyes. He had reached out to steady her she had looked up and he had been able to truly gaze into her eyes. Awkwardly, he pulled his hand from her shoulder noticed her empty hands the screen on the floor, and returned it in silence before muttering an apology. She had taken the comm, frowned, and walked away.

When Chaz insisted he come to lunch one day Darcy did not protest but marched beside his friend to the patio only to be disappointed when Juno explained that her sister did not care to eat with them and dined alone these days in the staff room. And late one evening, as they were still sorting through paperwork at the Institute, Chaz suggested they needed more time to consider his investment _properly_ and that they might, perhaps, stay longer than the original two weeks ( though the house had been let for a full month) and Darcy agreed as he no longer felt in a hurry to leave.

* * *

Many of the scientific institutes promoted friendly competition through sports as well as through research. Once a month, a coed team from the Netherfield Institute either traveled to play another institute or hosted a team at their bells-and-whistles indoor facility. Quitting work a little early for the Inner-Institute basketball game, the Netherfield Institute hosted the Shoreline Wetlands Institute one evening to a crowd that included most of the Netherfield employees and almost all of the Meryton neighborhood.

It was during this institutional ball game that Darcy found himself following her figure on the ball court with more enthusiasm for basketball than he had ever had. No athlete yet she carried herself well never letting her smaller height be a burden and often using it to fool other players who assumed she would be intimidated by their taller, heavier physiques and move out of the way. These players often found themselves with a foul and LizE with the ball.

LizE never once stopped to consider why Darcy might watch the Institute's game. She only categorized him as a disagreeable businessman whom she had to tolerate but who she would never forgive for their run-in at the Gala.

Chaz suggested that LizE join them for a meal and as there was nowhere local to drive to (he had peaked in at the local café and determined that the menu was atrocious) Darcy had been happy to have her be an extra for dinner at the house. So when Chaz came to collect Juno the next Friday evening, LizE was invited, encouraged to come and collected in Chaz's blue car.

LizE could not perceive why she had been invited to Bingley's house for dinner as the evening made her feel uncomfortable and she could only hope that Juno had enjoyed herself and hoped also that she would never again be invited to dine with Chaz Bingley, his family or his friends again.

* * *

When Chaz said a local politician had invited them to a little party, Darcy agreed to go thinking of the prospect of seeing LizE Ben.

Darren Lucas had planned a party at his rambling, a bit ramshackle, home. Like a lot of people there was land and houses to be had these days, and he had been able to purchase and extend a house at the time his family was growing that would not have been in his budget fifty years before when California real estate was the gold standard.

Darcy stationed himself so he could observe her with others as a step before conversing with her himself. LizE noticed his hovering and solicited her friend LotE's opinion about it.

"What do you suppose he is doing, listening to my discussion with Col. Forster? We were talking about the training the militia is here for but it seems a topic far below such a high and mighty businessman," said LizE.

"Only Will Darcy can answer that," said LotE.

"If he keeps it up I _shall_ ask him for all his wealth even if he would think me more of a brazen hussy."

"I dare you," challenged LotE.

"I will." LizE straightened her shoulders at the challenge and she sauntered over to Darcy, "didn't you think Col. Forster's plans are quite rigorous for the militia?"

"Yes, her plans were enlightening. It is comforting to have such a strategist in such a position."

She did not know what to say to such a reply, she had expected to offend him but he looked as calm as ever. So she grabbed her friend's hand and they ambled away to where the Lucas family kept the entertainment equipment. LotE handed LizE a small button which she initially refused but with some teasing and some cajoling from a few nearby guests she clipped to her shirt. LizE clasped two larger buttons in the palms of her hand and then nodded to LotE. An instrumental tract began to play and LizE began to sing.

Her performance was entertaining; her voice was beautiful. LizE, like so many others of her generation, liked to sing and perform covers of popular songs. Many nights of competitive practice with her family meant the light show that went along with her performance was enviable as well.

The Ben twins were put forward when LizE quitted the 'stage.' Mark had an excellent voice but Mara, who preferred to control the visuals and the lights, was always a little heavy-handed. Mark's singing was easy on the ears, but the light show was a dazzling, whirling display that was hard on the eyes.

Daria Lucas trembled lest the system overload again but their performance ended with one blinding flash, a lot of enthusiastic, relieved clapping and no one else stepping forward to perform. Of all the guests in attendance, performance karaoke seemed to be limited to the Ben family and none of the other Bens cared to perform (or at least none of the other guests were brave enough to follow two excellent performances).

KitE and Luna and others were dancing in a room off the main living area. Darcy was engrossed in his own thoughts, not realizing he was staring in their direction when Darren Lucas came up to him. He spied Chaz and Juno holding hands and apparently heading off to dance.

"Ah, here is your friend heading to the dancing. Dancing, one thing that never goes out of style despite all the changes that society has wrought. But here is LizE Ben surely you two know each other? Why not dance with her?" Darren waved at the couple then towards LizE and then off towards the dance floor.

Darcy came to himself and looked up to realize that his host in that horrid green jacket was before him waving his hands toward LizE who was standing a meter or two away. She must have been walking that way to come watch the dancing.

"Miss Ben," taking a note from Chaz who seemed to have read 19th century books on gallantry, he held out his hand and bowed slightly, "would you care to dance?" he asked.

"No thank you Mr. Darcy," she answered with an unreadable face. "I only came this way to watch my younger sisters enjoy themselves. I don't wish to dance."

"I do not normally dance myself, but if you?" prompted Darcy, leaving the question hanging.

"Really LizE, it seems Mr. Darcy is, in general, not one prone to dancing but has taken a shine to dance with you, are you sure you won't dance with him?" Darren Lucas had a gleam in his eyes that might be from some sense of gallantry, or might be from too much Turnbull wine.

"Mr. Darcy is overly polite," and she continued on to the side room where most of her family were located. Even Fancy was seated in a chair her eyes glued to the sight of Juno and Chaz with their arms around each other dancing slowly this time despite a fast dance beat and swinging, swirling bodies surrounding them.

Caro Van Hale came up and slipped an arm through Darcy's. "I can guess what you're thinking about."

"No," he answered. "No, you cannot."

"How horrid this all is. These people, the noise, the nothingness, how self-important they all think themselves. What I wouldn't give to hear your thoughts on them right now," she squeezed his arm, leaning into his body.

"You're completely wrong. I've been thinking about a very beautiful pair of dark eyes, how intelligent they render her face…"

"I too, was never more annoyed…wait, what did you say?" and she stepped away to look up at him and catch his eye.

"How intelligent her face is, how much I simply enjoy watching her."

"Who are we talking about?" asked Caro as she continued to stare up at him and he continued to look out past her into the crowd at some distant point.

"LizE Ben."

"Well," and she took in a deep breath, "I hope you enjoy your time in the sack, she is quite different from the other women you've been interested in."

"Your imagination is very rapid to have made that leap. From interest to sleeping with her in one bound."

"I suppose all that exercise—basketball didn't Chaz mention?—will make her a rather athletic lay. Or are you supposing something more than a quick fling? Something more serious? Bringing her home to Pemberley? Let her mother move in with you, wouldn't that be fun. And have those twins and those younger sisters come live with you as well," Caro laughed.

He listened to her without reaction while she rambled on. His face remained composed and he offered not a word, so she continued along those speculative lines for some time.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The Bens were firmly middle class. Both Tom and Fancy were scientists by education. Tom Ben had inherited a large piece of property originally not considered worth much (there was no real pasture for horses, the terrain was not well suited for crops and its location via a winding, gravely road was less than ideal) but after the population devastation of the 2050s when what remained of the population in urban areas fled to more pastoral settings it proved a more valuable piece of property. Its large family home and many assorted out buildings provided them with all that they needed. Greenhouses had been added where they could be fitted and coming from something of a hippie stock, Tom Ben liked to consider that he could always provide food for his family should money and circumstances prevent the family from acquiring what they needed.

Fancy Ben had a widowed sister who lived in the nearby town of Meryton. Her brother and his wife were also scientists, and also attached to the Netherfield Institute, but their focus was more on field research so they were frequently traveling. Their little bucolic area had recently been invaded by the federal militia which was to stay the whole winter training a new set of recruits and a few new officers.

The high school girls often went, after finishing their studies online, to see the widowed aunt, somewhat out of a sense of duty for she had lost her two children years back and was all alone in the world, somewhat because of the militia but mostly because Meryton provided one social hub of true connection in a world which largely consisted of online connections.

Those small-world real connections with people were made especially important when they drove to the local, big urban areas that had once been so populous along the Bay or even up to the great city of San Francisco where the massive decline was evident in the buildings. Whole blocks of houses were boarded up and abandoned. Entire districts of commercial properties were fenced off and locked up so long that the 'For Lease' signs had faded and fallen off. Die-heart urban lovers still lived there banding together and in the past five or six years life had become easier as society as a whole turned back to the business of living and focused less on what felt like basic survival. The new shape of society encouraged folks to set down roots and slowly put a stop to the decay of the previous twenty-five years. Local governments on the city-level had been failing for over fifty years which meant that the basic services they provided like the police and firefighters (along with utilities like power, garbage and recycling) also declined or disappeared. As local and state power had crumbled and the services they provided like policing had faltered, President-for-Life Sanchez had created the Federal Militia.

The militia was not a new fixture in society having been established for over twenty years as a means of ensuring domestic peace at a time when society was so chaotic that it was only the federal government that was able to control the large-scale social unrest; state and local governments were impotent. The militia had become quickly ingrained into society as people saw its immediate benefit. Not like the F.I.D. program.

The first President-for-Life, Fleming, had instituted the F.I.D. program which was still controversial in areas of the country: to have electronically ID'd every man, woman and child and to mandate all newborns, all immigrants and all new citizens to also be so ID'd. There were those underground who did not sport their ID bands but the watch-like fixture was so obvious that to not wear one became a social stigma in most aspects of society and in most parts of the country. They were permanent fixtures, waterproof, and like comm screens became integral parts of most people's lives. Because they functioned as technological devices the younger generations relied on them a great deal and had fewer qualms about having a government-issued ID that could instantly track their whereabouts. The younger citizens cheerfully went in to select the newest upgrade when they had outgrown the previous one, often begging, as kids do, for all the bells and whistles that were costly extras.

The militia was largely deployed in urban areas but Col. Forster and her troops had come to Meryton to train her newbies and to work on maneuvers in preparation for a spring deployment in the Los Angeles area where there still was unrest.

Of course KitE and Luna usually only talked about the militia after a visit to Aunt Lily. The usual news topics in quiet Meryton were peaceful, after all, which is why so many were settled in the town and surrounding area; there was little crime or anything like a disturbance let alone civil unrest. Residents discussed the weather and discoveries at the Institutes more often than not. So the militia, the officers and soldiers and their daily activities offered them whole new levels of discussion.

Tom chided his two high school girls one day for spending so much time talking about one subject. Luna declared how much she admired the militia but especially Captain Carter. "She is wonderful. She's showed me all their equipment and some of their maneuvers, it is all quite fascinating."

"You have got to be the silliest girls in town," said Tom.

Fancy stepped in, "oh don't scold them; they are clever children, and it gets them away from their comm screens which is more than I can say for you. When's the last time you went for a walk or even got outside?" and she reached over to pat his tummy.

"Luna's last report card is not been what I would want; it does not speak for her being 'clever,' "he replied.

"We are a competitive household dear; it is so hard being the youngest I can sympathize since I was the youngest as well," sniffed Fancy.

As they were talking a sweet sound came from Juno's F.I.D. band. Fancy turned to her oldest with sparkling eyes and an eager smile. "Well, Juno who is that from? What is it about? What does he say? Tell us. Another dinner tonight?"

Juno had been reading her comm while her mother had been calling out. "It is from Lois, inviting me to dinner. Caro is to come as well; it's an all-girls night. Chaz and Darcy are going out; she says they are meeting with the officers."

"Wow!" said Luna, "I had not heard that! I wonder Mads Carter didn't tell us about that."

"But he will be away," said Fancy, "that is very unlucky."

"Is it okay if I take a car?" asked Juno.

"Yes you can though you must take Bob," said Fancy, "you know I was going to go see Daria this evening so I will want the electric. Bob's been cantankerous so you'll need to be careful."

"I should get him down the hill for a check-up but I've been so involved in my work I haven't had the time," remarked Tom without much conviction as to his follow-through.

"Perhaps you should go on Rowan?" suggested LizE.

"That would be mortifying what would Chaz and Lois think? Arriving on horseback? What would that Darcy man think? That's, that's medieval, to arrive for dinner on horseback," huffed Fancy.

"I would much rather take the electric car," Juno said with certainty.

"Well it seems your mother has 'girlfriend' plans of her own with Daria Lucas and Jess Goulding so you are stuck with Bob," smiled her father as he looked up from his comm screen.

"Perhaps Bob will break down and you'll have to stay the night," predicted Fancy. "I wonder how late Chaz and that Darcy will be."

"They might just offer to bring her home," suggested LizE.

"That would be okay too," remarked her mother.

Juno left in the late afternoon and had not been gone long before it rained hard. LizE, Mark and Mara who were the principal drivers of Bob were uneasy for Juno worrying about the winding, gravely, and in parts, unpaved road from their house and the equally winding ones up to Bingley's.

It was after night had fallen when LizE received a short comm from Juno saying she would spend the night. She communicated this news to her mother when she returned from the Goulding's house. Fancy was ecstatic, "how lucky it was that she had to take Bob!" and trundled off to bed singing.

The next day as she was eating breakfast they got the whole story through a longer comm from Juno to LizE saying that Bob _had_ broken down on the way there, Juno had figured she could walk but been caught in the downpour. She was feeling very sick that morning with a headache, a sore throat and that Lois Hurst had insisted that they call in Dr. Balakrishna before she was to be driven home.

Fancy bemoaned that she could not go see her daughter but Tom said he would need the electric car to go see about rescuing Bob and to get him to George at Meryton Mechanics. Either George would get Bob up and running enough to get him home or Tom would have to take Bob over to some larger garage on the peninsula, Tom's days of tinkering with mechanics were over.

Mara and Mark look at each at the breakfast table. "Ben twin powers," whispered Mara, and Mark smiled and nodded. Tom groaned and shook his head and began to shake his finger at them too, "Not going to happen, we're getting someone else to fix Bob." The twin looked at each other then back at their father, ready to argue. LizE smiled at them and stood up.

She was down the hall, having sent a quick note to her manager at the Institute to say she would be delayed in coming to work and went to throw on some clothes. Five minutes later she was in the barn saddling up Rowan with her hair unbrushed, her teeth unbrushed, and having thrown a jacket over her pajama shirt, having only having stopped to put on proper riding pants and boots.

She was a sight.

The morning was clear and cold as so often happens after the rain. Rowan made good time, his four steady feet moving down the muddy gravel roads at a good pace. She arrived at Bingley's house faster than any car could have made it that morning given the state of the roads.

LizE was shown into the breakfast parlor where her appearance caused a great deal of surprise. She explained the reason for her visit and the mode of her transportation.

"You have _live_ animals?" cried Caro. "I have never had a pet let alone a working animal around me in my life."

"We have been more sheltered than you, I fear," cried Lois.

Chaz was very polite and friendly. Darcy said very little. Kai Hurst, nothing at all. He was focused on his meal and felt that the current events were ruining it. Will Darcy was admiring the glow to her complexion from the ride over but having some doubts in the stated need for her visit. After all, the doctor had been sent for and they had vehicles and could take the sick Juno home as soon as the doctor visit was over.

LizE could feel their collective censorious eyes. Her questions about Juno's health were not answered positively. Lois had peeked in at her and Juno had reported feeling as she had stated in her comm: feverish, unwell and with a wicked sore throat. LizE asked to be shown to her sister, declining anything to eat.

Juno was flushed and glassy-eyed when LizE walked in, smiling up with a faint smile. She was not up to talking much only saying how pleased she was to have someone fuss over her a little. LizE was glad to do it since Juno had often been the one to fuss over her whenever she was ill.

Lois and Caro come up to see Juno, staying to chat about little nothings until the doctor arrived. It was Chaz who showed Dr. Balakrishna in. He caused the two ladies to stand up in fright for he came suited up in protective gear. Juno and LizE could see his kind eyes through the plastic of his helmet and he shooed the two ladies of the house out of the room but let the sister stay while he examined his patient.

His exam was thorough but brief. He said she had a violent cold, as they all had supposed, told her to remain in bed and he would give her things to help relieve her symptoms. He was, however, required to put the whole house under five days of quarantine per public health regulations since it was a virus.

Dr. Balakrishna apologized profusely to the ladies of the house who had waited outside the room. Caro was shocked and outraged. "We have to stay cooped up here for five days?"

"You can get out of doors," he responded. "You are lucky to have no near neighbors with this house and grounds but do not leave the property; the government policy about viruses is strict. Even if it is a cold (and we still have not found a cure for the common cold) I have to quarantine the house." He left a few items behind for Juno and departed, still encased in his protective suit.

Caro ran off to tell Darcy and Chaz the news. Lois recovered enough to realize that LizE would need a place to sleep and made up the room next door to Juno for her.

After tucking a sleepy Juno in, LizE came to help put the sheets on the bed but found the room ready for her. She was ashamed now to be wearing her sleeping t-shirt, with no bra, riding pants and a mismatched pair of socks. She would be in a position to have to borrow clothes. Caro and she were almost the same size though Caro was far bustier, perhaps having had surgery there.

LizE needed to consider her horse and ran down to care for him. Bingley's rental property had, thankfully, a small barn though there was no hay, so she picketed Rowan to glean his dinner from grass. She would need to make sure to move his picket a number of times a day to ensure he had enough to eat. LizE also wasn't sure if they cared for a horse nibbling at the manicured lawns but she figured she did not have much choice.

She came back through the kitchen. Chaz and Lois had few servants as so much was automated these days, but they did have a cook-housekeeper, Cassandra Nicholls, who LizE stopped to talk to. She was, perhaps, ten years older than LizE, had been a professional chef but found that the duties of keeping house for a small crowd were far easier and actually paid better than working in a restaurant.

LizE fell into a long conversation with Cassandra, even helping to chop root veggies while they discussed Juno's five day confinement (the quarantine for all of them), and her and Juno's lack of clothes. Cassandra, who was close in size to LizE, offered to loan her a few items during their stay. What Juno, who was taller, would do was another matter but as she was keeping to her bed it might not be an issue the first few days.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Juno had not felt any improvement when LizE returned to her a little guilty for having taken so long with Rowan's care. Juno was nestled with pillows under a mound of blankets and said she had not noticed; she had slept the whole time.

LizE ate lunch with the others. Caro and Lois mentioned that they would sort through their wardrobes and find a few pieces for LizE and Juno. The two women asked about Juno and LizE reported that Juno still felt quite ill. They moaned about how bad it was to ever be ill, how awful you always felt, and then dropped the subject. LizE could only silently sit and consider how much she disliked them and their hypocrisy.

The discussion at the luncheon table ranged about on topics which seemed to have been long-discussed and heightened her sense of being an intruder. Darcy and Caro had business affairs to tackle and talked almost in a different language of numbers, shipments and schedules. Lois and Kai discussed people LizE knew nothing about, but Chaz, at least, made her feel welcome by including her as far as he was able. He was anxious about Juno (and not anxious about the quarrantine as the others were) and attentive to her as a guest though she could also imagine she was particularly welcome as Juno's sister. LizE cut her meal short having nibbled in the kitchen with Cassandra, and went back to her sister.

"Really, to be saddled with two guests and to be in quarantine! And to have such a one as LizE Ben. So impertinent, no style, no taste in anything worthwhile. _What is this wilderness_? Riding up on a horse, such a germ-ridden thing! It was such an odd excuse to come just because Juno is sick. And _such_ an appearance—I doubt very much if she even combed her hair," declared Caro as soon as LizE had run back up to Juno.

"She has nothing but being an excellent horsewoman to recommend her; and that does not count for much these days," added Lois. "It is almost as if this were the Wild West!"

"That outfit was so thrown-together I think she may have slept in it," smirked Caro.

"She was half covered in mud, did you see her boots and her trousers?" continued Lois.

"Perhaps that is an exact picture of her appearance this morning, but still…" said Chaz. "I thought she looked very well this morning. The dirt escaped my notice."

"You noticed, didn't you Will?" asked Caro. "You would never want your sister to do such a thing for all that I believe you both learned to ride once upon a time."

"No I would not," replied Darcy.

"Really, I wonder if there is not some other motivation for her coming," and Caro looked over at Darcy, "related to the Netherfield Institute."

"I think you've been watching too many conspiracy theory movies. I just think it shows an affection for her sister that is delightful," said Chaz.

"What do you think of her fine eyes now?" whispered Caro to Will. "I suppose that this little adventure of hers has affected your admiration for them."

"No," he replied, "they were brightened by the adventure."

"I suppose Juno is great at her job but she is only a scientist and there does not seem to be any money in the family," remarked Lois.

"She said the whole family is thus employed," observed Caro. "Her one uncle was an engineer before he died. His widow lives on a pension somewhere near here, and the other aunt and uncle are scientists as well. They have been in South America apparently."

"Sounds hot, buggy and far too lowly a thing for me, think of my hands," Lois showed her husband them but he had his nose in his comm screen.

"Their relations nor their professions in life do not make them any less agreeable women; I think them both remarkable," said Chaz.

"They are far out classed by the likes of us," replied Darcy. Chaz did not say anything more. Lois and Caro laughed in agreement.

* * *

Juno rested the bulk of the afternoon. LizE read on her comm trying to keep up with work as best she could. Her manager at the Institute was understanding enough about her inability to come in but there was enough work to be done on-screen, that she could work even while in quarantine.

Lois peeked in at one point having felt somewhat guilty for the discussion at lunch and sat with Juno while LizE ran to get loaner clothes from Cassandra.

She ate dinner with Juno but once her sister was asleep, LizE went downstairs again in Cassandra Nicholl's borrowed clothes. Caro raised an eyebrow when she appeared, "those do not look like my clothes."

"No, they are Cassandra's," replied LizE.

"Who is Cassandra?" asked Caro with a furled brow.

"Your cook/housekeeper?!" answered LizE looking from Caro to Lois to Chaz.

"Ms. Nicholls? However did you meet her?" asked Lois in surprise.

"I walked into the kitchen," explained LizE. She was met with more raised eyebrows. "Her clothes are more my style. I fear I would tear yours or get them muddy," she explained to Caro.

An obvious relief spread on Caro's face.

"Would you care to join us?" Kai raised his hand. He had found an old card deck, real old-fashioned playing cards in a drawer. "All fifty-two cards accounted for!" He smiled, waving the pack above his head.

"They are probably seventy or eighty years old. He is teaching us to play poker," said Lois with pride in her voice.

LizE, having played poker on gaming tablets, knew it involved betting money and was not sure what these people would consider a "small" bet, so she declined. She said she would continue to work since she had missed work in the morning.

"No cards, how odd!" replied Kai Hurst.

"LizE is quite the worker. She has her comm with her always; can use her F.I.D. band to communicate; she is always reading, always working. Quite the little busy bee," remarked Caro as she sat down at the table with Darcy, Chaz, Kai and Lois.

"I am not a workaholic; I enjoy many things," cried LizE.

"You obviously enjoy caring for your sister," said Chaz. "I hope she will be well soon, and able to come join us." LizE thanked him.

She found she could not concentrate on her comm screen and instead stood and began to slowly exam the shelves and contents of the room. There were various knickknacks and objects d'art. She turned to Chaz, pointing at some small figurines, carved of some unidentifiable stone. "Are these yours?"

"Yes, I am a bit of a nomad but it is comforting to have some things of my own whenever I am in a new place, be it for a month, or six months. Nicholls is wonderful at packing and unpacking items. I never take over a whole house but it's nice to have a room or two with your own _stuff_," and scrunched his face up to let her know he was laughing at himself.

She returned to her perusal of the shelves. Chaz even had a few old-fashioned, bound books which she flipped through with delight. "This is a nice collection."

"I should have more but I only seem to collect them, not read them," he said sheepishly.

LizE replied that they were all wonderful as she only had one "real" book, an original copy of Peter Pan that had been in the family for over 150 years. "My family have not been curators of books over the years. As soon as digitized books became available, I'm afraid we never considered paper again. Such is the way scientists think."

"You should see Darcy's collection at Pemberley. He has an extensive collection, of _real_ books," cooed Caro.

"It is one of my first loves. I could never neglect it; though there was an extensive collection there to begin with," said Darcy.

"It greatly adds to that noble place," cooed Caro again.

Lois added "Chaz you should buy a place as delightful as Pemberley. I don't know why you have never bothered to buy a house. You are always moving about."

"I would buy Pemberley if I could, there are not many places like it left in the world, so many urban places are not livable, and many country places are too wild, too far out. Have you not considered what a great residence Pemberley is? Not located too close to any urban center to have been in danger and yet close enough that your modern needs are met. Exquisite!"

"I would think by your logic, that our little town of Meryton and its surrounding area is an ideal place to live," argued LizE.

"You have me, Ms. Ben," and he gave her a little formal bow from his place at the card table, "Meryton is a quite an ideal little blend that makes it an enchanting location."

LizE put down the book and stood watching the poker game. She was glad she had not played as their antes were out of her league but it was amusing to watch people hold the little cards who were so unused to such an action. As when a single person is suddenly handed an infant by a mischievous parent and she holds the baby as if he is likely to break.

"How is your sister, GEO?" asked Lois. "Has she grown at all since she went away?"

"She is probably about LizE's height, or taller," answered Will Darcy looking at LizE standing near him.

"How long it has been since we've seen her," said Caro. "It is so difficult to have her away overseas."

"She's studying abroad? Where?" asked LizE.

"She's in London," he answered. "It has been a bit of a family tradition, to study abroad; to study business but to also be able to study European rail systems."

"Will was there seven or eight years ago, lucky duck," said Chaz. "I had to do the Uni thing here in the States."

"I would have thought you'd traveled since you have the money to do it," remarked LizE.

"Passports and travel are harder to come by these days than you think," said Chaz. "The government tightly controls overseas travel. I've never been able to get a passport or a visa."

"I guess I didn't know that travel was that difficult. My aunt Meg and Uncle Ezra travel extensively for work. Perhaps travel is easier when it is considered for scientific purposes than it is if it is for business or for pleasure," said LizE.

"Perhaps, Ms. Ben," remarked Darcy, "scientists do have the advantage on us persons of business in this instance."

"How goes GEO's studies? Is she able to keep up?" asked Lois.

"She has quite a load."

"What is she studying?" inquired LizE as she walked to another spot near their table.

"She has a specialized study so she can have a complete understanding of the background of the business and be able to step into a vice-president role for Darcy Rail when she finishes Uni," said Darcy.

"What sort of subjects is she studying?" asked LizE.

"She needs to study economics, political science, management, organizational behavior, PR, research methods, real estate, and entrepreneurship to have a good grounding. Of course there are always inter-personal skills that can never be taught in school and must be learned on the job," he remarked.

"I cannot fathom such studies,"cried LizE. "I am surprised at you knowing any person with such knowledge under her belt or who could handle such a school workload."

"Really LizE there are many who have studied such topics in school," cried Caro.

"Yes, it sounds like what Charles did at Uni," answered Lois.

"I think I had more fun at Uni," was Chaz's noncommittal reply.

"I know, for sure that Will did it," challenged Caro, looking at LizE. She clenched the cards in her hand too tightly and they went springing out of her hand landing face up on the table.

Kai exclaimed in exasperation at the ruination of that hand in-play. LizE took that as a cue to leave.

"LizE Ben is one of those who seek to recommend themselves to the other sex by undervaluing other people to make themselves look good. With many men it succeeds, I suppose, but in my opinion, it is an under-handed thing," cried Caro.

"Certainly," replied Darcy to whom this remark was addressed, "there is nastiness in all the arts which women sometimes use. Anything resembling cunning is despicable."

Caro was not as entirely satisfied with this reply as to continue the subject.

LizE sent Lois a comm to say that her sister was worse. Chaz was concerned and felt that Dr. Balakrishna should be sent for again but LizE forestalled another visit by saying they would see how Juno fared in the morning and could they see what Fancy thought of her? Years of childhood illnesses times six in the Ben household meant that Fancy could often take one look at a child and know the seriousness and extent of an illness. So it was agreed that a video comm would be set up for Fancy Ben to examine her daughter the next day.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Chaz sent word in the morning to LizE to say he had both arranged the video comm for Juno and her mother (hoping that Juno would feel well enough to be able to use the large comm screen downstairs) and that he had also, uninvited, asked Dr. Balakrishna to come visit again.

LizE had planned to skip breakfast but wishing to see if the visit from the doctor could be put off, as Juno had felt that she was improving, she joined the party in the breakfast room only to be told that the doctor had arrived and was suiting up outside.

Sighing, she led the doctor upstairs listening to him talk about the weather—rain—and the effects on the roads. He examined Juno again, said she still had a cold made a quick remark about certain interested parties in Juno's recovery (meaning Chaz Bingley) and left with a reminder that there were still three days of quarantine left.

Lois came up to see Juno and ask, on behalf of her brother, whether she could take the call in the den on the big comm screen. Juno said she felt she could and a big fuss was made as to clothes or a robe, slippers and socks, and the number of blankets needed to be procured for her.

Chaz came to escort Juno downstairs where a bed had been made on one of the couches, moved into a good position for the large screen that took up half of the wall. He hovered over her while she settled in, tucking layers of blankets on top before placing the call to the Ben house.

Had she found Juno looking dangerously ill, Fancy would have been depressed and miserable but she was met with such a scene as could only make her happy and almost made her laugh out loud; Juno was so tightly bundled up on the couch lying back on a mound of pillows with Chaz by her side. Fancy's expert mother's eyes saw nothing in her daughter's face to alarm her, and for once she was happy with government health regulations that meant that Juno's restoration to health had to occur under Bingley's care and not in the Ben home.

"I hope she does not look too ill," began Chaz.

"She does in fact," said Fancy who was on a handheld comm screen at the Ben household. Fancy, worried about appearances, did not want anyone to see her house as the family comm screen lived in Tom's stud, which was never tidy. "She does look ill, poor thing. Dr. Balakrishna said she cannot come home for three more days. I'm afraid you will have to put up with Juno and LizE a little longer."

"Even if there was no quarantine, I would not suggest she be moved," cried Chaz, looking over at Juno who smiled at him.

"You know she suffers in silence, our Juno, you have been very good friends to care for her through this illness. She has such patience, always was the sweetest child," chattered Fancy. "Other women are nothing to her. Oh my, you have a nice room there Mr. Bingley. I hope you are not in a hurry to finish your business here and leave."

"Whatever I do is done in a hurry. When I decide to leave I shall be off in five minutes I am sure. Right now I am quite happy here though," he replied.

"It is as I supposed of you," said LizE who sat on the back of the couch next to her sister.

"You begin to understand me?" cried he, turning away from the screen towards her.

"Yes, I study characters as well as seedlings."

"I wish I could take that as a compliment—to be so easily made out. It is pitiful, I am afraid," and he hung his head comically.

"I don't mean that deep, complicated characters are more valuable than one such as yours," said LizE.

"LizE!" scolded her mother, "remember that you are a guest and do not run on in the wild manner like you do at home."

"Rural settings cannot provide many such characters," said Darcy from his work corner in the Den. LizE and Chaz turned in surprise at his voice. "In a neighborhood like this, you have a closed, unchanging society."

"But people themselves alter so much, that there is something new to observe about them," countered LizE.

"There is quite as much of _that_ going on here as in Los Angeles or any other big place," said Fancy, and she waggled her eyebrows.

The room was silent for a moment. Fancy continued, "I do not think cities have much to offer these days, sure there are nice sections still, but the decay has certainly rotted their appeal in my eyes. You can get anything you want delivered out here in a day, so why live where there are gangs and unrest and just ugliness? Mr. Bingley, surely you would prefer to live somewhere like Meryton?"

"Wherever I am, I am content. We just came from Los Angeles, as it was, and before that it was in a little rural place in Oregon. I find the advantages of a place wherever I am and exploit it.

"Ay, that is because you have the right outlook. But that gentleman," and Fancy waved a finger at Darcy, "seemed to think that our little town here was nothing at all."

"You mistook Darcy, Mom," said LizE embarrassed. "He only meant that there was a greater variety of people in the cities or bigger urban areas than in our little town, which you must agree to be true," argued LizE.

"Nobody said that they weren't," replied Fancy.

"How are things at home?" LizE attempted to change the topic of conversation, or even end it, though Fancy showed no sign of signing off of the call. For a quick health comm, it sure was taking a long time.

"Darren came by last night with LotE. He wanted to speak with Tom; she was hoping you'd be here, sweetie. I guess you didn't comm her about your staying there? Anyways, he is my idea of a gentleman; you know he was in politics, Mr. Bingley? It is such a shame that LotE is so plain, she never really dated; cannot hold a candle to Juno. Men have been falling over Juno for years."

"LotE seems a very pleasant woman," remarked Chaz.

"She is very plain though. I know you're not supposed to boast about your own children, but Juno is a true beauty." LizE looked at her sister who was flushed in appearance and who appeared to have fallen asleep at some time during the comm. Fancy continued. "Even Daria Lucas has said so, what a beauty she is. And I've not just one to trust my own eyes; she's had men coming at her since before she finished high school. Why there was this one who would only comm her in verse…"

LizE interrupted Fancy "And that ended his interest," said LizE, impatiently. "There have probably been others, overcome in the same way. I wonder who first discovered the potency of poetry in driving away love?"

"I thought poetry was considered the food of love," commented Darcy, looking up.

"If it's a healthy love, perhaps, everything nourishes what is strong already. But if it is slight and thin, just a small attraction, well, then one sonnet will starve any passion or inclination right out of a person."

Darcy only smiled, and the room was silent again. LizE hoped her mother was finally ready to sign off. She was racking her brains for some way to end the conversation and get Fancy off the comm and Juno back in bed when Fancy said what LizE most wanted to hear.

"Thank you again for your kindness, Mr. Bingley, to Juno and for putting up with LizE." Chaz made some civil remark. He had the controller for the large screen in his hand and was going to sign off when Luna popped her head over her mother's shoulder.

"Say Mr. B.! What a find house you have. You should have a party. Col. Forester says she might have a party, wouldn't it be great if you both did?"

"That sounds like a magnificent idea…" he paused, as he could not quite remember which sister he was seeing.

"Luna, I'm Luna," she answered.

"Luna, that is a great idea. A party to celebrate when I get all the paperwork completed and the endowment for the Netherfield Institute set up. I actually think that is a great idea. We'll have to wait until the quarantine is lifted at least," and he looked tenderly down at the sleeping Juno.

Luna said she was quite happy to wait for Juno to get better and be able to return home. "Besides, Captain Carter is out just now, it would be so much better if she were back."

The Bens signed off. LizE looked down at her sleeping sister and requested that they let her stay where she was. Chaz declared he would stay by her side. Darcy grumbled about having to move, but set off in search of Caro Van Hale to whom he related the gist of the call. And while they could agree on their condemnation of Fancy Ben, Darcy would not be induced into censuring _her_, despite Caro's jabs about _fine eyes._


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

It was another long day of recovering for Juno who would have much rather been at work. Lois was restless and bored so she sat with Juno a good part of the day. LizE got some work done, though, perhaps not as much as her manager might have liked. In the evening Juno opted to stay in her room to rest so she could hit the ground running, as far as work was concerned, when the quarantine was lifted.

LizE felt an obligation to go downstairs though she would rather not after Juno had fallen asleep. She sat in her room with her comm screen but it felt lonely and too quiet. To be part of a family of eight meant that silence was not something that she was used to, though often imagined and longed for. She made up her mind to join them.

The party downstairs was mostly business. Darcy and Caro were busy with work correspondence in their corner. Darcy was also attempting a long comm to his sister to update her on his plans since they had apparently changed in some form. Lois seemed more interested in observing the other people in the room than in anything else. Her husband was attempting to teach Chaz some strategic poker moves with the deck of cards, though often with hilarious results when Chaz would crimp them too tightly in his hand and send them flying. The party nodded to her greeting and she held up her screen to indicate her choice of activity and settled on a couch.

LizE idly played a game though she did not attend to it and joined Lois, surreptitiously, in watching the others. Caro seemed unable to stick to her business correspondence and would comment on Darcy's comm to his sister. It was a curious dialog, and fit her opinion of both.

"How pleased GEO will be to hear from you," she sang out looking over at him, but not catching his eye. He did not answer.

"You seem to be typing rather quickly."

"You are wrong. I type rather slowly," he did not look up but simply answered her with his stony face.

"Are you sure your comm is charged? Let me check," she leaned over to tap the side of his screen.

It didn't affect him at all, he gave no answer.

"Tell GEO I am delighted to hear that Uni is going so well and that she is enjoying Europe. It is such a great opportunity to get a different perspective on life than the provincial one we get at home. I wish that I would have had the same chance to study abroad at such a significant time of life."

"Oh yes," Lois joined in, "I should have loved to have studied in London. I should love any opportunity to travel abroad, especially Europe."

"Can I defer these? Why not comm her yourself?" He finally looked up to look at his Greek chorus and stared them down.

"Tell her I am so glad to hear that she decided to try her hand at watercolors. It sounds like a nice little diversion from the rigors of school. And of course, she should have access to some excellent teachers, in Europe," continued Caro, not attending.

"Can I write to her about your raptures another time? I think this comm is long enough," mused Darcy with pursed lips.

"It's not important. I will comm her myself, as you suggest," she conceded.

"Do you always type such charming long comms to your sister Will?" asked Lois.

"They are generally long, but only GEO can say if they are charming," he answered his stiff body telling LizE how he felt even if the other two women didn't seem to have an idea.

"It is a rule with me: a person who can compose a long comm does not write poorly," said Caro.

"That won't do," said Chaz, "because William Darcy's _long_ comms are also full of _long_ words. He spends a _long_ time thinking of words of four syllables. Don't you Darcy?"

"My style of communication is different than yours," replied his friend.

"Chaz," said Lois, "Chaz is sloppy. He leaves out half his words, and then makes the worst typos; he is quite careless."

"My thoughts flow so quickly I can't get them all down, I type too fast; I suppose sometimes my friends cannot make out a single idea I want to express."

"Your modesty about the way you comm means no one can criticize you," said LizE.

"Nothing is more deceitful," cried Darcy looking up at his friend and then at LizE, "than the appearance of modesty. It is often only a quickly patched together viewpoint and sometimes an indirect boast."

"And which of the two do you call my little recent piece of modesty?" exclaimed Chaz.

"The indirect boast; for you are actually proud of your defects of comming because you think them as proceeding from a rapidity of thought, which, if not worthwhile, is at least interesting. People have such short attention spans that they only value something done quickly and move on to the next thing without considering if the task needs more time and attention. When you told Mrs. Ben this morning that when you decide to leave you should be gone in five minutes, you actually meant it as a compliment to yourself. But to do so you might leave business undone, and all for a whim."

"This is too much," cried Chaz, "that you remember at night all the foolish things I said in the morning. Have I no chance to make any mistakes? Yet, I still believe what I said; I believe it this very minute."

"I dare say you believed it when you said it, but I am not convinced you would do such a thing," argued Darcy. "Your character is of the type, that if a friend said to you 'stay here, don't go,' you would do it, and you wouldn't wait for the friend to say anything more persuasive to you than that."

"You have shown Chaz off in an even better light," said LizE, "by such an argument."

Chaz took in a deep breath and ruffled up his hair. "I am flattered that you have converted what my friend says into a compliment. But I am afraid you have turned Will's words around. In Will's world, he would think better of me if I stuck to my guns and told him to go jump in a lake and then hurried out the door."

"Would Darcy really think better of you for leaving than for staying if meant you were adhering to some inner principle? Even if that first choice was hastily made?" LizE looked with a puzzled face from one man to the other.

"I don't know, I cannot explain the matter—Darcy must speak for himself," and both of them turned to look at Will Darcy.

"You are asking me to explain opinions which you choose to call mine, but which I have never claimed to be mine. Our case is, as you represent it, LizE, that a friend has asked Chaz to stay without saying one thing as to _why_ he should stay."

"To yield _readily_, _easily_, to the request of a friend has no merit to you," she voiced with more passion than she thought possible.

"To _yield_ without thought or purpose is of no benefit," he replied coolly.

"You do not appear to have considered the value of friendship," cried LizE. "A person could simply value the requestor enough, their friendship of a deep enough length or connection, that they agree to the request without waiting for that argument you seem to think is so necessary. Let us set aside the hypothetical case of Mr. Bingley, and discuss general, ordinary cases between friends, where one of them is asked by the other to change something at a short notice. Would you think ill of that person for complying with that request, without waiting for the argument?"

"Should we not discuss the degree of importance of the request, and the degree of intimacy of these friends?" said Darcy, his comm in his lap forgotten.

"By all means," cried Chaz, "let us hear all the details, especially details on their comparative height and size, for that may lend some weight in the argument, LizE, more than you may be aware of. I can assure you that if Will were not so very tall, in comparison with me, I would not pay him nearly as much attention. And I hesitate to tell you of the days when he is in a foul mood, at the end of long day, or especially, at the end of a long work week."

"Have you not complied with Bingley's request to stay longer in Meryton because of his business venture with The Netherfield Institute?" considered LizE, "to what extent did you two discuss the extension of your stay, at his house, Mr. Will Darcy, when Chaz's business obliged him to extend his time here in Meryton?"

Darcy smiled, but LizE thought he was offended and checked herself from arguing further. Caro spoke out against the digs against Darcy with great vehemence, even reprimanding Chaz for talking nonsense about their relative size in height.

"I see your goal," said Darcy. "You dislike arguments and want to silence this one."

"I do," said Chaz. "If you and LizE will wait to finish this one until I am out of the room, I should be very grateful. And then you can say whatever you want about me."

"What you ask is easily done," said LizE, "I shall return to my game, and Darcy still has to finish his comm." Darcy took her advice, and she took up her screen again to play her game.

* * *

After Darcy finished communicating with his sister, he asked for some entertainment. He looked particularly at LizE, their recent banter having fueled his interest, not dampened it, but while she returned his gaze, she did not suggest any one thing for the party to do. Lois ran through the usual list of karaoke, games, movies or trying their hands at Kai's cards again.

"Karaoke?" Darcy tentatively suggested. Lois asked LizE to sing and perform, but she declined. Caro was then easily persuaded to don the microphone and palm buttons and perform.

It was while she was watching Caro perform that LizE could not help observing, as she idly scanned the song titles on the karaoke tablet, how frequently Will Darcy's eyes landed on her, straying away from the music and light show of Caro Van Hale.

She did not think that he was at interested in her, Will Darcy, owner and CEO of Darcy Rail who moved in a world so different than her own and let her know it; yet that he would stare at her because he disliked her made no sense either. She finally concluded that he must enjoy picking apart her character; there must be something so wrong according to his ideas of right in people that he couldn't look away. The idea did not bother her overly much. She liked him too little to care for his censure.

Caro stopped what she was doing having noticed that she did not have Darcy's attention and declared she had lost interest in karaoke. "Someone else can try. I am done for the evening." And she sat down next to Darcy.

LizE began to feel restless, and was toying with the idea of returning to her room, feeling like she had met whatever social obligation she had to meet by coming downstairs for an hour. She stood up and took in the various knickknacks on shelves as she wound her way away from the party and towards the door. The karaoke had put music in her head and she was humming, and clicking her fingers, swaying slightly as she walked.

"Perhaps we should put on music and dance," said Darcy. "LizE, would you care to dance?"

LizE stopped, but did not answer him. He repeated the question.

"Oh," said she, "I heard you; but I could not immediately decide what to say." She turned to face him. "You wanted me, I know, to say 'yes,' that you could sneer at me for my taste either in music or in dancing, but I will, as we discussed, stick to my principles and tell you no. I do not wish to dance. Now despise me if you dare."

"Indeed I do not dare," and he smiled slightly and nodded his head.

LizE had expected, almost intended to offend him, and was amazed at his gallantry; but there was a mixture of sweetness and sauciness in her reply which made it difficult to offend anybody. Darcy had never been so bewitched by any woman as he was by LizE Ben. He really believed that, were it not for the circumstances of her family and her circumstances in life, he would be in some danger.

Caro saw, or suspected enough to be jealous; and her anxiety for the recovery of Juno was assisted by her greater desire to get rid of LizE.

Caro often tried to provoke Will into disliking their healthier guest by discussing the various ways the two might hook up, from casual pairings all the way to white weddings.

"I hope," said Caro as they were walking outside the next day, "if it is just a hot and heavy one-night-stand that you spare me the details. I don't think I could bear to think of you and her in such terms. Though dating her would be tough, she's a working stiff; you are a powerful man of business. What would you do, hire her a personal chauffer to pick her up for a weekend rendezvous? And heaven forbid if you marry her, think of the mother-in-law you would be getting! Perhaps you can give that woman a few hints on holding her tongue. Never invite her to Darcy Rail functions. Who knows what would happen to the stock price; she would scare off investors and share company secrets. And those younger sisters, well, they seem to be following their mother's example."

"Do you have anything else to suggest for my domestic happiness?" grumbled Darcy.

"Oh yes, if I may, it is perhaps a delicate subject, but do try to put a damper on that bit of arrogance and impertinence which your beloved possesses."

They turned a corner and came upon an open expanse of lawn where Rowan was picketed. Caro stopped up short and asked to turn back.

At that moment they were met by Lois and LizE who was taking Lois to see Rowan.

"I did not know you intended to come outside," said Caro, in a higher tone of voice that normal.

"You two ran away," said Lois, "without telling us that you were coming outside. This quarantine has put us all in a bad mood. We all seem to be seeking the same cure by getting outside for some fresh air."

She stepped up to take Darcy's free arm, which left LizE by herself. The path was just built for three. Will could sense their rudeness and said "this path is not wide enough for all of us, why don't we return to the patio where we can all sit in the shade?"

But LizE, who did not really care to join them, ran through the plantings beside them to go check on Rowan, laughing "no, no, you three continue as you are. You do what you like. I have my job to do." She cooed over Rowan, happy with thoughts of being home in a day. Juno was already up, and had been working on Institute business in her room, and even intended on joining the party in the evening.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Juno came down from her room to join the party of six after dinner having nibbled on a special tray sent up by Cassandra Nicholls. Lois was a felicitous force to be reckoned with in entertaining Juno with anecdotes, and welcomed the new addition to their evening band. She had been bored, and Juno's joining them gave her a new focus. Caro sat with both women competing with Chaz, even, for Juno's attention as Lois and Caro seemed to find Juno a new object or toy worth playing with and even fighting over.

LizE set up in one corner to work on her comm screen but her eyes could not but stray to watch her sister and Chaz as they talked, their conversation becoming more and more focused excluding the two women. Chaz, in particular, was obviously enthralled with Juno and ignored, or did not hear Lois or Caro when they addressed him directly.

Mr. Hurst suggested a movie "The Fast and the Feisty (no. 9)," but got no takers and soon fell asleep, his VR goggles askew having not bothered to remove them.

Caro finally lost interest in the conversation with Juno since she was obviously not one a principle player. She suggested making cocktails, mentioning she had been an expert mixer during her Uni days.

"Oh yes," said Lois. "Can you make me a Gin Fizz?"

Caro sighed in exasperation, standing at a small, obviously under-equipped bar. "I do not think I have all the ingredients, dear, don't I need egg whites for that one?"

"Is that what makes it fizzy? I never know, just order them and they appear," said Lois throwing up one hand in the air.

Caro pursed her lips for a minute, and then asked if Lois had a second choice. A Sidecar was ordered, and determined to be within the possibilities of the drinks table. Juno declined having one on account of her recovering health, and Chaz opted to follow her example. Kai was still sleeping and no one thought cocktails was a sufficient reason to wake him, so she turned her attention to Will Darcy with a wide smile.

Darcy said he would pass, but Caro would not let him so she poured a few items into a small glass and brought it over to him. "It's a Presbyterian. I think you may like it, it's the best whisky we have." He took it graciously and sipped.

"And finally, you Ms. LizE Ben, you won't know your cocktails, so I will make you what I am having, a Blue Moon," and she brought LizE a martini glass with a blue liquid inside, adorned with a twist of lemon. LizE, only ever used to beer, was wary and found the gin made her cringe when she sipped, but Caro did not notice. Caro was, by then, seated closely to Will with a smug smile, sipping her own Blue Moon.

Darcy had nodded to Juno when she had arrived, and said something polite about her recovery then settled himself with his comm screen, engrossed with work or a game but his gaze had been fixed strongly on the backlit screen and not on any one person in the room since the sisters had entered.

Caro followed Will Darcy's example with her screen before her and her cocktail in her hand, but would call out a question or comment every few minutes to him. She could not engage him. If asked a question he would answer simply and return to his screen. He did take occasional sips from his drink; the glass was paid more attention than his business partner.

She finally gave up her attempts to win his notice and put aside her screen. "What an exciting evening," she called out loudly. No one made any reply. She yawned and looked at the others in the room. Kai was still asleep. LizE and Darcy had their heads bowed in their opposite corners but the Bingley siblings were talking about a party, Lois having joined her brother and Juno again after collecting her cocktail.

"Really, another party, who will plan it Chaz?" exclaimed Caro.

"Are you really funding this place Chaz?" asked Lois, "and does that mean we absolutely need to have a party to celebrate?"

"I suggest you ask _you-know-who_ how he feels about a party. You know how he felt about the Gala. If I'm not mistaken he would think it a punishment to have to attend," Caro indicated Darcy with her head.

"If you mean Will," said Chaz," he can go to bed before anyone arrives. But I am quite determined. I'll have Nicholls help me with the menu and we'll have everyone round!"

"I should like parties better if they were done differently. It would certainly be more civilized if we talked instead of all that drinking and dancing and partying," replied Caro, she finished her drink with a large swallow.

"Wouldn't be much of a party if we just talked," said Chaz with a smile.

Chaz returned to whispered conversations with Juno. Lois seemed to lose interest again and sat staring off into space turning the rings on her fingers and twisting the bracelets on her arms. Kai snored lightly on his sofa. Caro got up and walked about the room.

She had a thin, graceful athletic-looking figure, possibly natural, possibly sculpted by some artificial means. Her clothing was chosen to accent all of her physical assets but Will Darcy (at whom it was all aimed) kept his nose glued to his comm screen. In desperation, Caro resolved on another course of action.

"LizE, I am feeling rather cooped up tonight, inside, the quarantine, you know. The night is a fine one; the weather report is favorable," she tapped her F.I.D. band, "why not come walking outside with me? Perhaps you can introduce me to this horse of yours?"

LizE looked up surprised but agreed to the suggestion. Neither work nor any amusement on her comm was distracting, she had only thoughts of being home. Caro Van Hale succeeded in her goal: Darcy looked up. He was as surprised at the strangeness of attention from Caro to LizE as LizE was. Caro immediately invited him to join them but he declined, turning back to his screen. "I can only imagine I'd be in the way."

"Oh come on, Will, come with us," pleaded Caro, leaning over him, to grab his hand and attempt to tug him to his feet.

LizE, feeling a little light-headed from her Blue Moon, was caught up in Caro's playfulness and joined in. "Yes Mr. Darcy, come meet Rowan."

He could not resist her and setting aside his screen, he joined them.

LizE was in high spirits and none of them spoke as she led the way to the back of the house. Caro playfully took Darcy's arm somewhere along the dark hallways but LizE did not mind as the silent trio entered the kitchen. Cassandra Nicholls had finished up for the night and only a single light shone on a work station.

"Why did you bring us here? There are other, quicker ways to get outside," asked Caro.

"We need to stop for these," and LizE took an apple in each hand and held them up for the couple to see, smiling with a grin that lit up her eyes. Darcy trembled a little and Caro tightened her grip on his arm.

They eased the back door open and walked out, all three taking in deep breaths of cool air. A well-lit path ran away from the house but ended and there was a large black gap between the ending of the paved and landscaped area around the house and the wider wilderness of the property.

"Where is your little friend?" teased Caro, tightening her grip on Darcy's arm.

"I put him to bed in the barn—back there," and she indicated the dark outline of a structure nestled up a slope.

"It seems we forgot our torches," said Caro, continuing with the taunts.

"Come on," and LizE took Caro's hand and led the pair up the slope with sure steps.

"Here I had assumed you two had this little adventure planned between you," commented Darcy.

"What do you mean?" purred Caro.

"I could only assume you invited LizE outside because you are in each other's confidence and had secret topics to discuss," he teased.

"Really?" asked LizE.

"I had another thought," said Darcy, his arm and Caro's still linked and through that to LizE who had reached the barn door. She dropped Caro's hand and he thought he could feel a connection break.

"What is that Will?" Caro continued her purr as they followed LizE into the warmth of the barn.

"That you wanted me to admire the length and leanness of your limbs. But then you immediately suggested coming outside in the dark; so you must not wish to have me admire your figures. But I have to wonder why you brought me here if you two have secrets," LizE could not tell in the dark if he was teasing or not, his voice gave away nothing and his face was in the dark.

"Oh, how awful!" cried Caro though she hugged him playfully. "I have never heard anything so awful." She turned to LizE who stood looking towards the couple still just inside the barn door. "How shall we punish him for saying such an awful thing?" Caro reached out a hand to touch LizE lightly on the arm, then withdrew it.

"Nothing to it," replied LizE. "We tease, we poke fun, we joke and laugh." She paused to look at the connected pair. "As long as you've known each other, you must know how best to do it."

"I don't know that I do!" and Caro dropped Darcy's arm. "I have not learned _that!_ Tease such a serene, self-possessed man. No." She approached LizE as though scolding a child. "No, he will mock us in return. I will not jeopardize myself. I will not set myself up. Will has all the advantage in this situation; there is nothing about him to laugh about." Caro retreated back to Will's side.

"We can poke no fun at Darcy!" cried LizE studying the dark shadow where Darcy stood, "that must be unusual. For him to possess no small flaw we can giggle about, nothing? I hope I do not encounter many men like him, for I love to laugh."

"Caro gives me more credit than I should get, yet any decent man might be made to look ridiculous by a person who only likes to joke," said Darcy with a growl.

"Certainly," replied LizE," but I hope I am not one of those people. I do not joke about your helping old ladies across the street. It is those little idiosyncrasies that amuse me about people, those little bits of nonsense that we indulge in during the day when we don't think anyone else is watching: our indiscretions, our whims, our inconsistencies, those amuse me, and I laugh at them whenever I can. But you, apparently, have none of these." She approached him and Caro stepped nearer to Darcy in a protective gesture.

"Perhaps no one can be without indiscretions. But I have tried hard in life to be in any situation where I lose my self-control or to have those weaknesses which expose a strong intelligence to ridicule."

"Such as vanity and pride," LizE challenged.

"Vanity is a weakness, yes, but pride, if one has a distinguished, studied mind, pride will always be under control."

LizE turned her back to hide a smile.

"And what do you think of Will now?" asked Caro.

LizE turned back to the pair. "That William Darcy has no defect. He says so himself."

"No," said Darcy dropping Caro's arm and leaning back against the door, "I have not said that. My faults are not of the intellect. My temper is strong. I don't forgive, especially as far as the world is concerned. I can't forget the mistakes or vices of others and will not forgive insults. You may say my temper to be resentful. My good opinion, once lost, is lost forever."

"That is a failing indeed!" cried LizE, "hardened resentment is a mark against a character, but you have chosen your fault well. I really cannot laugh at it. You are safe from me."

"There is, I believe, in every person's outlook or frame of mind, a tendency to some particular defect which not even the best education can overcome," said he.

"And your defect is an inclination to hate everybody," she cried.

"And yours," he replied, with a smile," is willfully to misunderstand them."

"Shall we go meet this friend of yours?" cried Caro, tired of a conversation in which she had no share. "Introduce me to Roman." She ran her hand through Darcy's again.

LizE laughed, "Rowan," and led the way to the stall where she had bunked her friend. She ran her hands down his head and neck while he rooted in her pockets for the apples. Darcy watched in a contented silence. Caro's silence was more a sense of controlled horror, as Caro was still unnerved at the idea of living animals and had begun to regret the impulsive invitation to LizE. Darcy was not sorry for the silence. He began to feel the danger of paying LizE too much attention.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Dr. Balakrishna arrived once more, though this time not in his self-contained suit. He officially cleared the Ben sisters to leave and all other persons in the house from quarantine. LizE was impatient to get back to home and a routine, her own bed and especially her own clothes. They sent word to their family of their release but Fancy commed them back to say that Bob was still not fixed and that Tom actually was using the electric car so that they might need to hang out at Chaz's house a bit longer. LizE was furious with her mother and would have taken Juno home on Rowan's saddle behind her if Juno had not been just recovering from an illness. LizE pushed Juno to ask for transportation and Chaz cheerfully agreed to drive Juno home. LizE and Rowan planned to make their way back home as soon as Juno was packed and she could say goodbye to all, including Cassandra.

Will Darcy was happy to have LizE go. The horse-riding, teasing woman had been around and underfoot long enough. She attracted him more than he liked; and Caro was rude to her and more teasing than usual to himself. Caro, for her part found that her jealousy and dislike of one sister much exceeded her liking for the other. The morning that all of the plans were worked out Darcy resolved he show no sign of his infatuation for her, certain that if he did it would encourage her. At one point during breakfast, though they were alone together for twenty minutes, he scarcely spoke ten words to her.

LizE shook hands in parting from all the party in the liveliest of moods. She embraced only Cassandra and returned the borrowed clothes, cleaned already as she was in her riding pants and pajama top. Juno's parting a half hour later was on the sweeter side. Lois and Caro hugged her tenderly, declaring profusions of friendship, even as they separated. Chaz was the most cut up to have his guests go.

Fancy was not happy to have them home. She had hoped for Juno to have a completed a week at Chaz's house. This did not stop her fussing over Chaz in driving her home to a degree that made him embarrassed. He kissed Juno on the cheek and let her family bundle her into the house, declining Fancy's invitations to stay.

Fancy was worried that they had given too much trouble by asking Chaz to bring Juno home.

"It would really have been too much trouble for us to stay an extra day," remarked LizE as Juno headed upstairs to her own room but she did not attempt to argue any more with her mother.

Tom had missed his daughters. He was keen on his topics of discussion, his views of the world, which his daughters were privy to and, for the most part, subscribed to. So often there was intelligent conversation at the house when Juno and LizE were at home. But when they were gone, other subjects cropped up. Mara and Mark either got along, or fought incessantly, and so could be pulled either intelligently along by adult conversation, or pulled down by such topics as the high school students favored.

Dinner that evening was lively. Fancy was extracting an exact recount from Juno of her stay, needling her for any details about any sparks of romance between Juno and Chaz, and Juno was attempting to avoid sharing those very details. Mara and Mark badgered LizE with questions about their Uni project as they needed to turn in an aspect of it the following week. KitE and Luna barraged both sisters about how Lois Hurst lived. What did she do all day, what did she wear during the day, evening? At night? There was also militia news to share. Two people had been detained up in the hills (though neither turned out to be a cyborg), a new recruit had gone AWOL, and there were rumors that Col. Forster was getting married. This turned out to be the hottest neighborhood news because her long-time partner was not someone in the militia, apparently, which surprised many. They had been dating for many years and she lived back East, but was to come join Jane Forster after the wedding. She was moving from North Carolina but nobody knew what she did for a living.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

It was a familiar, noisy family weekend. Juno closeted herself like the old days with her screen and tried to catch up on work. LizE followed her to an extent but wandered around the house and property, happy to be home again. She, Mara and Mark spent a long afternoon together working on small details of the greenhouse project.

On Monday, Juno and LizE had finished breakfast and had just risen when their father called them back.

"I need to let you all know we will be having company for dinner tonight," he said. "I hope you have something good planned," turning to his wife with a smile.

"Who is coming dear? Is it LotE? I am sure she is used to our usual fare," she looked away from him, bored.

"This visitor is a gentleman and a stranger."

"Oh!" Fancy sat up straight, her eyes sparkling, "A gentleman and a stranger. It is Chaz Bingley, right? Juno—you didn't say anything, why is he writing Tom? It will be wonderful to have him eat with us. But heavens, do we have anything good planned for the meal?"

"It is not Juno's Mr. Bingley," said her husband. "It is a person I have never seen in my life."

Juno had started, being at first worried that Chaz had, for some reason, written to her father without her knowledge but now her curiosity, like the rest of the family's, was stirred. Tom paused, enjoying being the center of attention. When the murmurs died down, he finally explained.

"I have received a comm from a cousin, William Collins Jr., requesting that we put him up as he will be traveling through this area. He says he is a cleric."

"Does that mean he works in an office?" asked KitE.

"Oh my," said Fancy, "is that Sari's son? I thought you and her husband had a big falling out over money."

"Yes, well, William Collins Sr. seemed to think we should divide this property into two when my grandfather passed away. Grandpa only ever intended to leave it to my father and not jointly to Dad and his cousin 'Aunt Sari.' People in bad financial straits can hold onto straws—be very disillusioned."

"But Grandpa died suddenly, right after Great-Grandpa," said Juno.

"Yes, he died of the Luxor virus (like so many others) caught it in Florida on a trip, had to be buried there—they wouldn't even give us his body back. So I inherited this place as a young man but William Sr. thought their family was entitled to half of it. I disagreed and the courts backed me up. I haven't heard from any of the family since."

"I think it is impertinent of him to write to you at all, very hypocritical," said Fancy. "It's like being a false friend! Whatever does he want from us, is he trying to worm something out of us? It does not taste right to me."

"Well, let me give you some of the highlights of his comm. You can judge for yourself," soothed her husband.

Dear Sir "See there, I rate a 'sir!' "

The disagreement between you and my late father always made me uneasy and I have often wished to heal the breach but have hesitated as I have not wished to appear disrespectful to his memory. But I find myself traveling to your area having been charged by my patroness, Catherine de Bour, to find converts for our little church. I have been blessed to be distinguished by the patroness of Catherine de Bour, widow of Lewis de Bour the shipping magnate. She has given me a beautiful little house and an allowance as the new Receptor of the Church of the Grand Zephyr.

"Receptor?" inquired LizE.

"I take it to be the title given to the church leader," answered Tom. He continued reading.

It has been my fervent goal to humble myself with respect to her and all she has and is and to perform the rites and ceremonies of the Grand Zephyr so that by honoring him, I may honor her. As a cleric, I also feel that I should reach out to all within my social circle, and as I stated, have long thought to contact you and your family. I have often had reports of your family's activities over the years through various contacts and know you have raised a fine and beautiful set of daughters.

"What about me?" cried Mark.

"That's a little weird," remarked LizE, "it's like he's been spying on us."

"Yes," agreed KitE.

"Well," finished Tom. "He proposes to arrive tonight at five o'clock."

"You think he's just staying a few days?" asked Fancy.

"It seems so. We shall get him to clarify his intentions tonight," concluded Tom.

"He must be an oddity," she LizE, "his mentioning a patroness, and this talk of the Grand Zephyr, and isn't his purpose in coming here to find converts?"

"It seems he has found one of those new religions that have cropped up," said Tom, "I do not wish to mock any religion but it strikes me that he does not come across as a sensible man in his letter. He seems a mixture of restraint and self-importance. I am actually impatient to see him."

LizE and Juno finally left for work, ashamed to arrive late after missing the previous week. Chaz ate lunch with Juno and LizE only saw Darcy once, holed up in his conference room. He did not even raise his head to look at her.

* * *

William Collins, Jr., was punctual and arrived before LizE and Juno had returned from work. He appeared at the door in loose, flowing clothes: a long robe and equally flowing pants. He was tall, and a little round about the middle which his mode of dress emphasized. There was a seriousness about him that made him seem far older than his twenty-five years. He seemed a creature from a distant century, even if his dress brought images of wizards to mind—at least to KitE and Luna's minds. William C. was very formal in his greetings to the family that met him on their doorstep: solemn, somber, stately and strictly business, frowning at one of the high schoolers who dared to giggle during the introductions. He insisted on shaking hands with each person and addressed a personal greeting to each Ben. He then disappeared to unpack in the room they had spared him, giving time for LizE and Juno to come home and be filled in on the details of their distant cousin.

William Collins appeared again and was zealous in his greeting of Juno and LizE. He poured out his salutations with more warmth to them than he had apparently used with the family an hour earlier, causing Mark to remark about the disparity to his twin.

"Mrs. Ben, you have such a fine family, such beautiful daughters. I had heard rumors of their beauty but fame has fallen short of the truth," remarked their visitor to Fancy as they sat in the living room.

"Again—I seem to be left out," whispered Mark to Mara. LizE, who was near enough to hear, put her arm around him.

"You are very kind!" answered Fancy.

"I can assure you I have come prepared to admire all of you," he smiled with a wide, a bit alarming smile.

"Dinner's ready," called Luna who had been over-seeing its preparation.

William C. kept commenting about all the things to be admired at the Ben house, the hallway, the dining room, the furniture, the plate. Various members of the Ben house wondered at this excessive admiration supposing its reasons stemming from such things as his considering renewing the Collins' claim on the Ben property to his just being that 'normally' open at the mouth.

The dinner he praised and had a lot to say about each dish to Luna's embarrassment who did not value his praise. That it was her week to cook she had thought especially unfair with a visitor in the house but no amount of arguing with Fancy had moved her mother to let her off cooking.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

William Collins couldn't say enough about the Grand Zephyr; how the three aspects of the great god were found in air, water and solid form. The Grand Zephyr was in equal harmony with all things in the world, and could change form at will to suit his needs and to reward or punish. He followed those who believed and rewarded them, both in this life and the next, but punished those who erred or fell from the path. Paradise, a sort of Hawaiian island paradise, at least as William painted it, awaited those who passed over. William C. had a small symbol of a winged blue figure on his robes which reminded LizE of Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian Man.

The Grand Zephyr could walk among corporeal man but also, apparently, used his winged form which was more like a blowing wind than a winged man (for all that the symbol on William C.'s chest depicted it) to cart souls to the after-life or to simply bring blessings to believers. His watery form was more one of angry justice and punishment: cold, deep, unfettered, and uncontrollable. The Grand Zephyr sounded as though he was god, devil, angel and grim reaper all rolled up into one.

"Didn't there used to be a train line, The Grand Zephyr?" whispered Mark to LizE. His sister hushed her and Juno looked hurt. Mark frowned.

* * *

Once they had all settled with food on their plates, Tom asked the question he figured would be sure to most please his guest and to elicit the most conversation; he asked William C. to talk about his patroness. It was a topic about which their cousin could shine.

He placed his hands in his lap and bowed his head for a second before he could begin. "My patroness, Catherine de Bour, underwriter of all that is benevolent and good. Such a figure! She will have none of this name shortening that is all the vogue. She was born Catherine and will die and fly with the great Grand Zephyr as a Catherine." The high school girls sniggered at the name, especially KitE, who was really a Catherine and hated the old-fashioned 20th century sound of it.

"I know that we do not have any real rank or aristocracy in this country but she should live in a country that has such distinctions. She has noble blood, exudes nobleness, if there is such a word. She is a most cordial woman and yet, she is also my superior. I know this. I know my place. I am thankful for all that she has given me," he made a small gesture against his chest which none of the family could identify.

"In college I had few friends, believe it or not, but those that I did I was close to. One of them, John Smith (you may well laugh) was connected with the de Bour family, but more importantly, was a follower of the Grand Zephyr. He introduced me to this truest of faiths and I became such a devout follower that I studied to become a Receptor. And after passing through my testing prescriptions last year, I was ordained last spring as a Receptor. And it is that same John Smith who suggested I contact Ms. de Bour as she was looking for a Receptor for her local church."

Bowls and platters were passed around while they continued to listen to their guest.

"She is a gracious patroness, giving me a house, and an allowance. She reads over my sermons which I give every week. Beyond that she is a wonderful woman, having invited me to dine with her at Rosings, her large estate, on several occasions or simply asking me to come visit her in the evening to keep her company."

"Sounds like she is a cougar," whispered Mark. Juno blushed and shushed him. LizE kicked him under the table as well.

"Some people have said she is proud, but I do not see any of that," remarked William C. "She is always advising me on things, big and little. We discuss church business, like my recruitment drive for the next two weeks."

"Two weeks," exclaimed Fancy, and she turned to glare at Tom. Tom did not respond. "Oh my nerves!"

"Ah, yes, did I not say so in my comm?" he seemed not the slightest bit embarrassed at imposing on his cousins for that long. "Anyways, she tells me little things, like what to eat and what to avoid, or to put some shelves in the closets. And then there are the big things. She's told me I should marry as soon as I can—that I should help get this population going again, more children and all. No one from her ranks of life, of course. I wouldn't dare anyways."

"It sounds like she is _quite_ a woman. Does she live near you?" asked Fancy, though each Ben family member had their own definition of "quite" in mind.

"The windows of my house look across a lane and up into the driveway to Rosings Park. Not that you can see her mansion from my windows. The driveway is more like a road, you know."

"You said she was a widow? Has she any children?"

"Alas, she was not blessed with any children. She has some personal assistants that live with her, and she is, of course, very attentive to the poor and needy, because people of her ilk are naturally like that. She is a bright ornament in these dark times. Ms. de Bour seemed very happy with that compliment and you can imagine that I am happy in any social situation I can to offer her little compliments. Those sorts of things women always like. It is the sort of attention which I imagine I am obligated, by my positon, to pay her."

"Considering she pays you, it sounds like a good thing to be doing, flattering your gravy train. Do you blurt these little tidbits out on the spur of the moment, or do you think about them ahead of time?" asked Tom.

"Most often they simply emerge from whatever we happen to be doing or talking about. If I do say so myself I seem to be a natural at them, though I sometimes sit down and consider little compliments that I might slip into conversations. I try to make sure they don't look too pretentious."

Tom's expectations were complete. His cousin was as absurd as he had hoped and he listened to him with the keenest enjoyment through the whole of dinner: William C. was funnier "live" than those canned comedy skits the teens liked. After the meal, he was happy to invite his cousin to join them and see what other absurdities he could root out.

The family first suggested karaoke but William C. said he could not sing, and such things as modern songs were not fit for such a man as a Receptor of the Grand Zephyr to sign and perform. Someone suggested a movie but he was horrified and said that he never watched them; Catherine de Bour declared them the opiate of the lower classes and they were never to be indulged in. Finally Tom suggested he explain more about the Grand Zephyr since they had not known anything about this god and his religion before that day.

The family thought he would simply talk, but William Collins ran up to his room, bringing back his comm screen. His was the very latest model with holographic technology. Luna gasped when she realized he was going to read to them from religious texts. He had a low, deep voice and read with a very monotonous tone.

He lectured at length on the three aspects of the Grand Zephyr: wind, water and core, or body; all the time using holograms to illustrate various points when Luna interrupted him about ten minutes into his monologue.

"Did you know Mom, that Aunt Lily's dog Theodosia had puppies? It was quite a shock as they came early. Only three bitty ones, she commed me on Saturday. I am going to walk there tomorrow or the next day to see them, and to see if Josh Denny has come back."

Juno and LizE, who had been drowsing slightly due to the long day tried to hush her, but William C. was very offended and set aside his screen.

"I have often observed that young ladies little appreciate things that are done for their benefit, especially young ladies of a certain age range," he glanced from Luna to KitE. "You would think they would be eager for any little instruction that might help them grow in life, and in understanding. But I will no longer bother my younger cousins."

Juno apologized for Luna's interruption though the teenager said no more. A game was suggested by Mara, a family game—and she winked at her twin—and they were all able to indulge their competitive natures in trying to outdo one another. William Collins lost spectacularly. The twins bonded together and seemed as if they had the game won, but it was little KitE (on the same smaller physical scale as LizE, Luna had at least three inches on her) who came out of nowhere, surprising them all, as the victor.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

William Collins, Jr. was not an intelligent man and was never able to rise above this deficiency of nature, not by his education or the friendships he formed. The greatest part of his life had been spent with a temperamental and dictatorial father and raised in such a small town that he had few playmates. He did not have the sense or reason to realize what he lacked; his Uni days were not spent in seeking to fill in the gaps that were so apparent to most other people who came into contact with him, rather, he was an isolated figure, spending more time on-screen seeking out those little corners of the information world where he felt comfortable rather than seeking to challenge himself with new ideas or attempting to seek new and useful (and real life) social connections. The absolute control his father lorded over him gave him a sense of humility but that was greatly over-come by a large sense of self, and self-purpose which had been brought on by his unexpected prosperity at such a young age.

It was at Uni that he had met Mr. John Smith, and through him, met Catherine de Bour who had showered him with a comfortable level of life not often found by men at a similar age. He was a mixture of pride and complaisance, vanity and humility.

William Collins intended to marry. Twenty-five was not too young for marriage, especially in these days when people were uniting at a younger age (and perhaps in more of a hurry) than they had thirty or forty years before when putting off marriage for school, money, a house, or a career was more of the norm. He was also motivated to marry because of his religion. First, because his patroness had said to him he should get married but more importantly (and here he felt a twinge of guilt that a thought of his could trump one of Catherine de Bour's) he felt the need to marry someone of the opposite sex since there were some followers of the Grand Zephyr who held the god up as a role model for same-sex marriage. William Collins was strictly in the one man/one woman camp when it came to institutionalized marriage. His patroness was firmly behind him on this view even if she had not used it as an excuse for his marriage.

He was struck by the household of beautiful women that was his extended, distant family. His social media research had been proven correct. He felt it would be a generous thing for him to marry one of the daughters and bring her, and possibly the whole family, into the folds of the Church of the Grand Zephyr. In doing so he could be killing two birds with one stone, marrying, and fulfilling his pledge to double the size of the Marin church. The angelic face of Juno kept his attention all through that first dinner. He was amazed to learn that the two oldest disappeared during the day to work the next morning when he wished to begin wooing her, and that the two Uni students sometimes did too, running down the hill to the peninsula despite the known dangers of moving in more urban areas and the horrors of social unrest. He was comforted to know that Mara and Mark did most of their Uni work at home, on-screen, but that they had disappeared to turn in a project.

So he was left with just Tom, Fancy and the high school girls that first morning. KitE and Luna were holed up with their schoolwork when he cornered Fancy his first morning and asked more details about the daughters. Not realizing his intent, Fancy could not stop herself from gushing about the rich Charles Bingley and his investment in the Netherfield Institute and his pursuit of Juno.

William C. with great magnamity then changed his mind from Juno to Liz, LizE was his equal in age whereas Juno was three years older, which he found fitting. The switch was done quickly, done while Fancy still rambled on about Juno's stay at Chaz Bingley's home the previous week.

* * *

Juno and LizE's days were full. Work required a determined focus to play catch up. Juno even declined lunch with Chaz the first two days back so as to better concentrate on all that she had missed. With a guest in the house their evenings were not relaxing but centered around entertainment. Tom wished never to allow William C. to cross his study's threshold and employed his entire family as security to ensure that did not happen. The second evening was largely a repeat of the first with a long game being played amongst them, and with the addition of LotE Lucas who had come to visit and been introduced to the cousin. The twins declined playing, citing schoolwork, and Tom hid, having accomplished little as William C. had spent more time interrupting him with a multitude of comms during the day with questions (mostly small, piddly questions) and never, apparently, doing anything about his stated mission of acquiring converts.

Tom ran away from his cousin the next morning to pick up Bob and how the cousin fared he cared not. William C. had a tiny compact two-seater car, so small that many in the family were amazed he could fit his tall, round frame into it. No one knew if it was his, Catherine de Bour's or had been rented. He, perhaps, spent the day on church business but was happy enough to agree to see the town when it was suggested in the late afternoon.

Luna, tired of being on cooking detail, hoped that she could persuade whatever family members would wish to come along to eat at the Turnbull Café and let her out of the kitchen. The parents and twins declined but all the other Bens went; Juno and LizE having been persuaded to come home early from work to help with the entertaining of their guest (having been begged in reality). While the calendar might indicate that autumn had begun, the weather disagreed and it felt as if summer had forgotten how to let go even if the evening light faded earlier than it did on summer nights. The older siblings decided they should walk the younger two grumbling as they were impatient to be in town and bored with listening to all that William C. had to say since they alone stayed home all day with him hanging about. Even Fancy was allowed trips to town for groceries and to get away from his pompous ramblings.

At the edge of town their eyes darted around looking for friends and especially anyone of the militia though they did pull up short at Mr. Robinson's shop by a new pair of leggings fitted with small lights down the sides as well as other new pieces.

"He always knows what is in style and what appeals to our fellow residents," commented Juno as she eyed the display.

"It's a shame he has no children to keep up the store," said LizE.

"In an age where you can buy anything on-screen and get it in an hour, it is an art to have a real, actual storefront-with-door shop and make money," said Juno.

"I will be sad if he ever does close up," said LizE, "I like looking at 'things in-the-thread' before I buy. So much of life is on-screen it is nice to have a real person to talk to about fit or color or style." They left off admiring the clothes in his shop window and walked on.

The girls gave a cry of recognition as one of the militia's gray vehicles was spotted parked nearby in the town square and their eyes were immediately wandering up the street in quest of their favorites. They hurried quickly ahead of their older sisters and cousin to the vehicle. Just beyond in the town square figures were crouched in groups with assorted equipment set up strategically. It was a military exercise or drill and LizE grabbed her two sisters to prevent them from running straight into the middle of it. She looked up and noticed that all four buildings that over-looked the square had armed figures on them pacing back and forth.

They retreated to the perimeter of the square, making their way towards Aunt Lily's house but watching the activity. It was difficult to tell what exactly was going on as most of the soldiers had on their combat helmets and small amplified voices echoed around them as if a ventriloquist was throwing his voice.

They made it to the far corner of the square and were set to continue to Aunt Lily's when a distinctive voice called out for Luna who turned eagerly. Joshua Denny came running up with a fellow soldier pacing behind from the other side of the square, greeting Luna and KitE enthusiastically. He removed his helmet.

"You're back!" cried Luna hopping up onto her toes, "good journey?"

Josh Denny said it had been a good trip and that he'd brought back a new officer and introduced George Wickham, who then took off his combat helmet and nodded all around. All four of the Ben sisters stared. When the young man had whipped off his helmet it had tumbled the mane of hair on top into a charming disarray that was followed by a blinding smile. He had broad shoulders and an athletic built but his handshake was warm and tender and he made a small remark to each woman in turn as he shook hands. He immediately began to ask questions about Meryton, about its residents and about them, not even forgetting their dull cousin who stood awkwardly when faced with such an easy conversationalist. There was something unpretentious and warm about George Wickham, and the party stood talking to him and Josh Denny when a short beep made them turn their heads.

Chaz Bingley had the top off of his car and he and Will Darcy could be seen inside though it was only Chaz who was waving. The redhead pulled near their party, calling out greetings to them all but never keeping his eyes from Juno. Will Darcy gave a sort of general nod towards the whole party and was determined not to even look in LizE's direction when they strayed to that of the newcomer; and LizE looked quickly from one, registering the looks on the faces of both as they noticed each other. As though choosing colors for a game, one turned white, the other red. George Wickham brought his fingers to his forehead in a small greeting which Will Darcy only just acknowledged. LizE looked from one to the other trying to figure out the previous connection between the two but in another minute a car behind beeped at him and Chaz called out to Juno that he would comm her without seeming to have noticed what passed between his friend and the newcomer and drove on; neither George Wickham or William Darcy showed any further signs of recognition.

Joshua said he wished he could walk with them to Lily Philips' house but he needed to return to the games and he and Wickham pulled their helmets back on and melted away.

Aunt Lily was happy for the company having felt depressed the previous weeks. Juno introduced Mr. William Collins Jr. to Lily Philips. She could shake off her blue-black mood and welcomed him civilly. William C. was apologetic in his introduction saying he hoped she did not mind his intrusion into her house but felt he might be justified in coming since was related to the Bens as was she. Lily found him a sociable young man not minding his pompous style.

Luna and KitE beset their aunt about Theodosia and were in raptures over the Furgi puppies though the tiny puppies did not yet sport the shaggy fur of their mother. LizE considered that they might yet get a dog, though so far the family had kept only cats in the barn as much as her sisters fussed over the puppies and talked of convincing Tom to let them keep one.

Lily said she was worried about Theo as a mother, worried for the puppies survival (because the last litter had all perished) and the Ben family all recalled her young son and daughter who had died as children. The whole family pledged to help ensure that the puppies would survive. Aunt Lily brightened at all the offers of help. She then asked the family to come over at the weekend for some fun. Luna hinted that the new soldier, George Wickham, would be a great person to also invite and Aunt Lily declared she would be sure to comm him an invitation as well.

Lily mentioned that they would have a fun time playing games—she had some new holographic tablets—and enjoy some nice nibbles. Cousin William apologized for his intrusion but his cousins dragged him from the house for supper. Luna pleaded, with clasped hands and hangdog eyes for them to eat out and won over her sisters. Ms. Turnbull welcomed them in and regaled them with stories about the military maneuvers in the town square that afternoon. Some residents had felt quite put out, as the comm from Col. Forster had apparently not reached all residents which had created a bit of a panic among some neighbors.

Mark came to collect them in Bob as it was getting too dark. LizE whispered to Juno what she had seen between Darcy and George Wickham but Juno could not make any sense of it, only agreeing with LizE that the two men must know each other.

Mr. Collins had much to say to Fancy about the elegance and politeness of her sister. He protested that she had an almost noble bearing having welcomed him so readily, with such great manners, into her house. Almost like Catherine de Bour, not quite, but almost.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

What Mr. Collins did with his time during the next few days was a bit of a mystery. He reported to Tom and Fancy that he would be recruiting and set off in his car but no one was sure where he really went or what he was really meant to be doing with his time. They knew he was terrified of urban areas, having mentioned urban decay as a blight on the 21st century and expressing real concern if anyone was to travel more than five miles from home. One or two neighbors mentioned seeing him in town and Ms. Turnbull said he said he ate lunch at her café every day. He would then return home to the Bens for "family time" in the evenings. He could talk a lot about the Grand Zephyr to the Ben family, whether he was having any success in talking to anyone else about his god and having success with converts, was another matter.

On Friday night all the Ben children, William Collins and Fancy bundled into their odd assortment of vehicles and drove into Meryton for fun. The sisters were all pleased to hear that George Wickham had accepted Lily Philips' invitation and was inside. Her house was a large one for a woman who shared it with no others and she liked her fine furnishings, cheap knickknacks and having the latest technology at her fingertips. Uncle Howard must have done well as an engineer or in his investments for she never seemed to lack for anything. William C. looked around at the well-decorated room he was in and compared it to some room at Rosings; a comparison that carried more weight to Aunt Lily when he mentioned that Catherine de Bour had a mantel piece that had cost $100,000.

The guests were scattered about the house, Aunt Lily explaining that the militia group had received an urgent comm and were holed up in a room and feared they may be called away on some duty. Other guests arrived and they waited with their neighbors for the fun to begin, the Ben teenagers lamenting the delay and avoiding their cousin as much as possible while they waited.

The interval of waiting appeared very long; it was over at last, however, the members of the militia did appear. When George Wickham walked into the room, LizE felt that the allusion before to a lion was not misplaced, he had a cat's easy grace, his sinewy form was breath-taking and he seemed to have a magnetism about him that made him stand out from the others as they stalked into the room behind him, relieved at having been let off duty, having received permission to stay.

Wickham had already made a name for himself amongst the ladies, and most of them tracked his movements with their eyes, but it was next to LizE that he pounced. He fell into conversation with her like they were still conversing back on the street and he made her feel, such were his skills, that the most common, dull and threadbare topic might be a subject for poetry given the art of a master.

With Wickham and other neighbors appearing, William C. got lost in the crowd, sinking to insignificance. None of the women there did more than glance at him and look away, his odd style of dress drawing more attention to him than his face or his bearing. Lily Philips felt a little sorry for him and made sure he was the first to be supplied with whatever tray of nibbles was produced from the kitchen.

The games began. All the latest in game technology was to be had at the Philips house. There were VR games that were bordering on embarrassing as it appeared—later on in the evening—that some guests might be having virtual sex, or at least some heavy petting. Fancy walked by one couple with their goggles twisted and their limbs akimbo and called out to the crowd to watch. Other guests were more content with holographic game tablets or comm screen games. William C. did not know how to play Air &amp; Sea Commando but since he loved his holographic comm screen so much he decided to try his hand at that particular game. Lily left him to it in the company of strangers.

LizE sat down to play a group word game with the tablets and she readily welcomed Wickham who sat down to watch the game and to talk to her. Luna was in their group and at first there seemed danger of Luna's monopolizing him for she was a determined flirt, but she also got caught up in the game, her competitive side was challenged and she soon paid more attention to the game than to George.

Wickham let LizE know he had all the time in the world and was pleased to simply be at her side. He occasionally indulged in a bite of one of the treats Lily Philips passed round and watched LizE play the first round. She was eager to hear what he had to say though she especially wished to hear how he knew William Darcy. She dared not even mention the high and mighty CEO. Her curiosity, however, was unexpectedly relieved. He brought up the subject himself. He first asked in a general sort of way about Mr. Bingley. Then he asked how long Mr. Darcy had been staying there.

"About three weeks," said LizE; and then unwilling to let the subject drop, added, "he is CEO of Darcy Rail."

"Oh boy is he," replied Wickham, "his company is large and prosperous even now with so many struggling in this economy. A billion dollar enterprise. I can give you the inside scoop about the man and his company for I have been connected with both, since a babe."

LizE looked up in surprise.

"No doubt you are surprised, LizE at my saying so. Perhaps you saw our meeting yesterday? Not the warmest one. Do you know Will Darcy well?"

"I hope to not spend any more time with him," cried LizE warmly. "I have spent five days in the same house with him and have yet to find anything positive to say about him."

"I cannot have an honest opinion about him anymore; I have known him too long and too well to be a fair judge," said George, "It is impossible for _me_ to be impartial. I suppose your opinion about him is unusual, though, most others wouldn't say so? You only say that about him because you are here, with your family, and feel it is safe."

"I say exactly what I think; and I say what I think in any neighbor's house, except perhaps Chaz's house. Will Darcy is not liked in town. Everyone is appalled with his pride. I doubt you can find one person here tonight who would speak a decent word about him."

"Can't say I am sorry," said Wickham after a short interruption for play, "I don't believe that any man should be regarded as better than he is, better than the worth he has earned, but in Will Darcy's case, this usually doesn't happy. The world sees only his fortune and the importance that wealth can bring or are frightened by his imposing demeanor and see him only as he wishes to portray himself: a worldly man of business."

"Even with knowing him such a short time he has always struck me as ill-tempered." Wickham nodded in agreement. LizE had to focus on her game as there were a number of energetic plays.

"I wonder," said he at the next break, "whether he is likely to be here much longer?"

"I do not know for sure, though I _do_ know that Chaz's business interests in the Netherfield Institute are said to be wrapping up. I don't know what Chaz's plans are after that, whether he will stay here longer. He did say to me once that he had so enjoyed a house in Oregon last year that when he concluded business there he ended up staying on another six months." She paused to play. "I hope your being new to the militia here will not be affected by Darcy and Chaz being in the neighborhood."

"Oh no—it is not for me to be driven away by Will Darcy. If he wishes to avoid me, he must step out of my way. We may not be on friendly terms, and it is painful to run into him, but I don't have any reason to avoid him but what I proclaim to the world: he treated me badly when he thought he could get away with it. It is painful, him being what he is. He is such a contrast to his father who was such a good man, and had my back at all times. As I said, he treated me like shit when he thought it was of no consequence, but it was of consequence because it disgraced his father's memory, and his father's business."

LizE's interest in what he was saying distracted her from her game but she also felt she could not ask leading questions. George changed the conversation to safer topics: his orders in the militia, Meryton and the people he had met, appearing to be pleased with all, especially the residents.

"I find it is society, and our little social connections that make life fit and bearable. In the militia we have a little choice in our billets and Josh Denny is a friend from another deployment. He knew my last billet was ending and sent me word about Col. Forester's present assignment and winter quarters here. Society, as I said, is necessary to me. I have been disappointed in life, taken a lot of wrong turns, had a number of curveballs, and I just cannot handle being alone. I must keep busy, and I must keep being out and about. Being in the militia is not what I studied for at Uni. The same position that Caro Van Hale holds at Darcy Rail, _that_ should have been mine, just as being CEO of Darcy Rail was his birthright, being COO should have been mine."

"Really?!" she cried.

"Yes, the late Mr. Darcy was my godfather. He was kindness itself. My father was the late Darcy's right-hand-man and both he and Darcy Sr. assumed I would follow into the business. Will and I both went to Uni together, studied European rail systems along with a long array of business courses in England. We were to be a team like our fathers before us. Darcy Sr. died before Will could finish Uni and he had to come home and take over the running of the business. I finished Uni and then did graduate work. Ha! That was my first mistake. He resented having to run the business, his first love was research. He could analyze data all day. He hates the big man stuff. Everyone, my father…, me…, assumed I would take over as COO like Jr. took over for his dad, but when my father was killed in a rail accident, Darcy hired Caro and told me to go jump in a lake. Wouldn't even give me a job. Fuck, he's CEO, he can do whatever he wants but he's forever smeared his father's and my father's memory by his actions. Our fathers built the company to what it is now. You would think I should benefit."

"Heavens," cried LizE quite shocked, and having lost interest in her game, "but how can that have happened? How could he do such a thing?"

"He can assert I deserve no such job but needed to have earned it through hard work and forfeited any claim to it by extravagance or imprudence in my life, in short by anything or nothing. I haven't really done anything to deserve to lose my position and be passed over. It is, perhaps, my warm temper, sometimes friendly, sometimes, maybe, a little unguarded, for I say what I like in all houses in all neighborhoods when I should be holding my tongue," he smiled at her. "I perhaps told him my opinion to his face tpo many times. I can recall nothing worse. We are simply very different men, and he hates me."

"This is all so unbelievable. You should expose him, denounce him. The company, by rights should be half yours."

"Perhaps I will one day. But I am held back by memories of the father."

LizE felt she had never respected a man more for his feelings and thought it made him even more attractive.

"He is prejudiced against me because of his father's affection. What son can brook being second best in his father's eyes? Had Darcy Sr. not been so fond of me, Will might have put up with me more, but Mr. Darcy's devoted attachment and preference for me sealed my fate at a very young age. Will has not the personality to bear with honest competition; he resorts to tricks and stratagems to win in other places because he could not win his father's heart."

"I had not considered Will Darcy as bad as this though I never did like him," she exclaimed. "I had never thought him capable of acting so low as to ruin another human being, to cheat you out of an inheritance for malicious revenge! How inhuman!" After a few moments of reflection, however, she continued. "I do remember his boasting one day of his unforgiving temper. He is a horrid person, more than I ever realized. There is unsociable, but then there is malicious and horrible, and he is by far the later."

"I can't be objective in thinking about him," replied George, "he's a subject I can never be objective about." He smiled.

LizE had lost the momentum of her game because she was so deep in thought about Wickham's revelation. "I can't believe the courts have not locked him away for larceny. To be such a jerk to his father's godson! A fellow Uni student, a friend from his childhood, a man who he has known all his life." She wanted to add, "a man whose face and appearance vouch for being good," but did not.

"We did grow up together, played together, and were doted on by the same father. Our father's connected lives meant our lives were intimately connected. Darcy Sr. always said to me that I should step up and join the business as soon as I finished University work."

"How disgusting, how awful he is," hissed LizE. "It is a wonder that his pride does not also give him a sense of justice and make him provide for you. He must truly be a disgusting man that he can't find something inside him and gives in to his dishonest side. He is a criminal."

"You've hit the nail on the head: it is all about his pride. It all comes back to pride. All his actions in life. Pride has often been his best friend. There are times when he does have a sense of honor, but then there are times when his actions get the better of him, as in his actions towards me: there were other impulses at work, stronger emotions than even pride."

"Can such awful pride he displays ever do him any good?"

"Yes. He is often a generous man. He has given his money freely to many causes, he can be hospitable, to assist the needy and relieve the poor. He is fiercely proud of his family name, what his father was, what the company is. And he has a powerful motivation to not blacken the family name and make sure those who speak the name Darcy, speak well of it. He also has brotherly pride, affection which makes him a loving brother to his sister."

"His sister, GEO, what kind of woman is she?"

"She is in Europe now, I understand, studying like Darcy and I did. Or rather partying. I hear she does a lot of that," and he pointed to the VR corner of the room where a couple looked like they were still engaged in virtual sex with arms and knees at odd, suggestive angles. "We too were friends once upon a time, as children. I used to enjoy playing with her if it brought a smile to her face. Aimee, her mother died of the virus when GEO was a babe. I was sometimes teased and bullied for playing with a girl; I devoted hours to her, but have not seen her for years. She has the Darcy good looks, Aimee was a model."

After many pauses, and some attempt to return to her game, LizE could not help returning to their first topic. "I am surprised by his friendship with Chaz Bingley. How can Chaz, who is, I truly believe, a sincerely good man, be friends with Will Darcy? What can have brought these men together? Do you know Chaz?"

"Not at all."

"He is sweet-tempered, charming, quite an easy-going, likeable man. He cannot know the real Darcy you portray."

"Probably not, but Will can please if he needs to; he doesn't lack for abilities. Such skills are necessary when you run such a large business as Darcy Rail. He can be pleasant companion if he thinks it worth his while. If he considers you as part of his rank, he is a very different man from those he considers beneath him, the little people. He can come across as sincere, honorable, perhaps even agreeable, if he chooses. I just think he rarely chooses to do so, it is all a façade."

The game finally ended, LizE having come in last amongst her party since she had not paid any attention to the game. William C. came over to ostensibly inquire about her game but talked more about his battle losses. He had not realized that the other three players were all from the militia and experts at strategy and tactics; he had only been enamored with playing on the holographic tablets. His ships had been taken out early in the game and he had been left crippled for most of the evening. He vowed to study up in preparation for another night of play and said "I realize that when people gather together to play, like this, that there are bound to be winners and losers. I am sure my patroness Catherine de Bour would agree with me."

George Wickham turned his head at the mention of his patroness, and after watching the pompous man continue to ramble on about the same nothings, he asked LizE in a low voice about William Collins' acquaintance with Catherine de Bour.

"Catherine de Bour," she replied, "is his patroness for the Church of the Zephyr, and has given him a house and an allowance. Some Uni friend introduced them, apparently, but he has not known her long, just a few months."

"Catherine de Bour and Aimee Darcy were sisters. She is aunt to Will Darcy," and he nodded his head.

"Wow, I did not know that. I knew nothing much about her connections besides her being a widow and that the money comes from shipping."

"She has a long-time companion, an uber-efficient assistant—she might be a distant relative, I am not sure—Anne Oakham. There have been rumors that Will was interested in her. He's been pursuing her for years. You know what a robot he can be in society, well she's a dead fish. They will make a perfect pair. Tiny mechanical children around their feet," he laughed pointing to the ground and wiggling his fingers.

This information made LizE smile as she thought about Caro Van Hale. How futile were her attempts at flirtation with Will Darcy, how silly the dropped hints of affection for GEO and her furious praise for Will if his love interests lay elsewhere.

"William Collins speaks nothing but praise of his patroness, but from what he has actually said of her, he does not paint a positive picture in my mind; I suspect his gratitude misleads him. I get the sense that she is an arrogant and conceited woman."

"I believe you are correct," replied Wickham. "It's been years, probably ten, since I have seen her, but I remember that I never liked her. She was always my idea of a dictator. In some circles she is said to be sensible and clever, but I think that is just another sort of story, probably told by her nephew, who likes to ensure that his family name is always painted in the best light, even when it is his relatives whose portraits are being taken."

Aunt Lily called all her guests to attention and announced she had a large pot of soup and many nice locally grown greens if everyone wanted to help themselves. LizE felt it was time to share the handsome George Wickham with all the other visitors, and she allowed him to seat himself with others, though LizE could only watch him, thinking that whatever he did, it was done gracefully.

She scrunched herself back into Bob and the rest of the family followed suit, everyone talking about their fabulous evening, thinking of nothing but Mr. George Wickham.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Sunday, Juno went into work, a fact that deeply distressed Fancy who moped that Juno had not had a date with Chaz in days and regretted encouraging her to go to her sister's house for Game Night. The high schoolers slept late as a lot of teenagers so often do when given the chance. The Uni students were not to be found so LizE found herself charged with entertaining her cousin. Tom, like the Uni students was hiding after having eaten breakfast with his relation. He then commed his second child 'not my study,' and ran off to hide.

LizE spent the morning showing William C. around the Ben property, taking him through the barn, the gardens, the orchard and all seven greenhouses with a desire to fill in the time before lunch. He dutifully followed LizE around talking whenever she paused in an explanation or comment, though she had already learned to tune him out since he repeated himself so much.

Fancy suggested they go to town for lunch as Luna and KitE were still not awake and William C. perked up at the idea. "I have quite enjoyed Ms. Turnbull's café. It will be my treat. I can afford these little expenses you know, LizE," he fawned over her, helping her into his sub-compact car. They passed the Meryton Christian Church on the way in, William's route being rather circular, and she spied the Goulding family in the parking lot. She mentioned her neighbors, pointing them out, and the small church as they drove by.

"Mom would take us to services on the occasional Sunday, as the fancy struck her," and LizE laughed at her own joke which was quite lost on her cousin. "We'd go for Christmas concerts and at Easter they always sing the Hallelujah Chorus, which she loved."

"I grew up in a Christian household myself before I saw the signs and became a true follower, a believer of the Grand Zephyr. I rather think Christianity pales in comparison to what the Zephyr blows our way."

"Dad never grew up with any faith; he's said that science was all he needed to explain how the world works and how he needs to act in it."

"He must not worry about his immortal soul," and William C. adopted a serious tone. LizE was regretting being saddled with him for lunch, and wondered how it had become her lot, out of all of the family's. "Have I explained in detail about the three aspects of the Grand Zephyr," he began, "and how they…"

LizE interrupted him, "Mr. Collins, I think there's a parking spot."

"Oh good spotting, you have quite the eagle eyes! You have been blessed with many talents, LizE Ben. Actually, has anyone ever told you how beautiful your eyes were?"

It wasn't the first compliment he had thrown her way. It was one in a long line of others. Some ideas began to take form in her head, mists to solid form (and perhaps she had listened to what he had said about the different aspects of the Grand Zephyr), but she could seem some other intentions of his, unstated ones, and she remembered his mentioning all his 'family research' before coming and of his patroness' encouragement for marriage. At one point in time she remembered him railing against homosexuality, and how some used stories, untrue, unfounded ones (according to her cousin) that the Zephyr had once fallen in love with a man. And how William C. meant to refute that by marrying and using his marriage and his role as a Receptor to be the ideal of what marriage should be about.

It now struck her that he intended to select her for that role of ideal wife of the Receptor. Once forewarned it became obvious to LizE that those were his intentions. It was obvious to him that he considered the lunch a date and he spent most of the time complimenting her, and she recalled that first evening and another story of his about false or padded compliments to his patroness.

The meal was long and grueling and LizE felt she had never suffered so much as when being complimented for the way she passed a salt shaker. After the bill was paid he suggested a stroll around town, a visit to Aunt Lily's house, or a trip to the beach, all of which she declined in an effort to get home and request reinforcements from her family against the siege that was William Collins Jr.

Her family members were all awake, or returned from wherever they had gone, or out from their hiding places when they got back. LotE Lucas was there as well, having come over in response to a desperate, subtle comm from LizE while in the car ride back. Fancy had the whole family, and LotE, engaged in winterizing the gardens, orchards and outdoor areas, with the younger girls grumbling, and a lot of speculation on how to better automate the process from Mara and Mark.

LizE was able to take her friend aside and give her small details (in between carrying loads of debris and mulch) of her morning, the excessively complimentary lunch and what she speculated were William C.'s intentions. LotE was sympathetic and let LizE pour her heart.

Fancy thought that it would be unfair to ask her guest and visitor to help overly much, so once the under-brush was cleared in the orchard, she suggested a picnic for the three of them. LizE knew Sunday would have been ten times as long without LotE's help in distracting him. And though it had still be only a few hours since their lunch, the two women carried a packed basket between them back out to the orchard where a rickety table still stood, its bolts still holding the worn boards together. All the while, William C. talked of Catherine de Bour, of his tidy little house and of his faith. Mostly, he talked of his faith and LizE spent a lot of time in spreading a sheet out on the table and setting out the food and produce, mostly from their gardens, and not paying him any mind. LotE, who had not as much experience of him, gave him much more attention. She then spent the rest of the afternoon keeping William C. occupied and distracted, for which LizE was grateful. LotE was invited to stay and eat, something she was grateful for, even if KitE, whose turn it now was in the kitchen, was not.

* * *

LizE did not relate her conversation with Wickham until lunch at the Netherfield Institute on Monday. Juno listened with astonishment and concern. She didn't know how to think or feel about Will Darcy being so unworthy of Chaz's friendship yet it was not in her nature to question the truthfulness of a man of such an open and honest appearance as Wickham. That he might have suffered such hardships was enough to spark tender feelings in her and she could only think well of them both, to defend the behavior and actions of each man and put it down as an account of accident or as something that was had been misinterpreted; the whole affair could only be a mistake which couldn't be otherwise explained.

"They have both been deceived," said Juno. "In some way or other, in some way which we cannot understand. People close to them have misrepresented each to the other. It is impossible for us to conjecture on the causes or circumstances which have alienated them from each other."

"Okay, sweet Juno, what have you to say of these 'interested parties,' these people you say are concerned with this whole business? Clear them of wrong doing as well, or we shall have to think ill of someone."

"Laugh as much as you like, but you cannot laugh me out of my opinion. LizE, consider what a horrible picture this paints of William Darcy—to treat any man so, but especially his father's favorite? It is impossible to think that of him. No decent human being, no man who values his credit in society could do such a thing. It would have been talked about. Can his closest friends be so deceived by him? I don't think so."

"I can more readily believe that Chaz Bingley has been imposed on by Will Darcy than that George Wickham should invent such a history of himself as he gave me that night: names, facts, everything mentioned without hesitation, it wasn't like he was trying to make up a story on the spot. If it isn't true, let Will Darcy contradict it. There was truth in Wickham's looks."

"It is difficult indeed, very distressing. I don't know what to think."

"We can perhaps see the whole psychological motivations running behind Darcy's actions, to have your father favor another over you plus the burdens of running a company you may not feel ready to shoulder. What if he really would have been happier in some smaller role at Darcy Rail or in some other career entirely? Has he made good decisions as a CEO? Is Caro Van Hale good at her job? I am not sure I would hire an employee who hung onto me as much as she does on him. Perhaps he is flattered like so many men are. But does his father's actions, right or wrong, justify Will Darcy's actions in denying Wickham his birthright? It sounds like Wickham Sr. invested a lot of time into Darcy Rail, but his son gets no benefit from it, only Will Darcy does."

But Juno could agree only on one point, that if Chaz had been imposed on by William Darcy, he would suffer, given his nature, when the affair became public knowledge.

Bingley found them at their corner table on the Netherfield patio. LizE had chosen the spot as she did not wish to have their conversation overheard inside in the dining room. Lois Hurst was by Chaz's side, dressed more for an evening event, than an afternoon call. They came to give their personal invitation for Bingley's party. He had finished his assessment of Netherfield's worthiness, and was throwing a party to celebrate, as he had promised. It was set for the following Saturday, and Lois expressed her delight at seeing Juno again, saying it had been 'an age' since she had seen her, though it had only been four days, and asked what she had been doing with her time. Juno gave a non-committal answer and Lois kept talking about assorted trivial interests she had pursued the previous days.

Chaz Bingley was chatty and rambled on about the details of his party, saying he wished to include the whole Ben family, in fact he wished to include the whole "little" assembly of locals from Meryton. Juno was quiet and gracious, especially in light of LizE's recent disclosures, perhaps even more than LizE had ever seen her. Chaz mentioned that he had found out about Tom's research in soil science and even knew about Fancy's study of phycology (even if she had not studied or published in years) and hoped that both Ben parents would attend. This was broken up when Lois suddenly rose from her seat and said she remembered she had some shopping to do and hurried her brother away.

Juno related to her family, though it was mostly Fancy who listened, Chaz and Lois' personal invitation to their party at dinner that evening. Fancy kept gasping and holding her chest, "why Daria said that they were only commed invitations, you should feel like a Cinderella, going to a ball, with Prince Charming waiting for you!" She began to paint the whole party as a compliment to her eldest child and spent half of the meal waxing on about the prospects for Juno and Chaz.

Many at the table had unspoken expectations for the party. Juno could picture an enchanting evening, quite like the one her mother painted of her being Cinderella, spent with her two friends Lois and Caro and a more intimate one with Charles A. Bingley, Esq. LizE thought with pleasure of possibly dancing (for Chaz had said he would have dancing) with George and of seeing a confirmation of everything Wickham had related in Darcy's looks and behavior. The future pleasure of KitE and Luna depended less on a single person or form of entertainment but they were both excited at the prospect of the party having had such a fabulous time at the Gala. Mara and Mark were the two dissenters of the family. After Fancy got tired of speaking, Mara spoke up that she felt she had no reason to attend. "I am really a shy, studious person, as is Mark. We are more modeled for study than for attending parties and mingling. We have a lot to do yet on our Uni project so I don't think we will attend." Mark looked over at her with a look that clearly told LizE, if perhaps not all of the family, that Mara was speaking out of turn, but faithful twin that he was he did not say anything.

LizE had such a feeling of exhilaration about the party that though she had learned in the past week to not ask her cousin a direction question she could not help asking William C. whether he intended to accept Chaz's invitation, for Charles had said to specifically include him. She asked him if attending such a party would be a proper thing for a Receptor to do and whether he would worry about receiving a rebuke from Catherine de Bour.

"By the great Grand Zephyr, no!" said he. "Such a party, with dancing, given by such a man whose character is above reproach to such respectable people as live in Meryton. This cannot be an evil thing at all. I not only do not object to dancing at such a party but I hope to dance with all of my female cousins that evening. And may I ask you, Miss LizE, for the first dance, here and now. I trust Miss Juno will understand and not take it as a sign of disrespect."

The two youngest laughed and the rest of the family stared and LizE could only nod her head yes though she felt herself completely taken in. She had intended to dance with George first thing, and now to be saddled with William Collins! Her liveliness had been her undoing, had she not teased William C. he might not have been asked so formally and in front of the family for that dance and she could have wormed out of it. There was no help for it, however. Mr. Wickham's happiness, and her own, would have to be delayed a little longer that evening.

William C. continued "This all sounds so very exciting, so appealing. Such a place where I might engage with people in lively debates on the nature of science and the Creator! It does mean extending my stay a bit longer, as I had planned to leave on Saturday, but such an opportunity is not to be missed!" And he got up from the table, already tapping a note into his F.I.D. band to someone, whether Mr. Bingley or Catherine de Bour they did not know. He seemed to assume that his cousins would not mind his extending his stay a few more days, or perhaps an extra week. The eight members of the Ben family all looked at each other in joint wonder, and most with some sense of horror.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

It was not until LizE entered the Skyline Hall and looked in vain for George Wickham among the guests would had gathered there that she had any doubts that he would attend. LizE had been so certain of meeting him there that her memories of the entire conversation and what that might imply about his attendance hosted by Darcy's friend did not alarm her in any way. She had dressed with special care and prepared to conquer all that remained unsubdued of his heart, trusting that such an endeavor could be done in one evening.

Her first thought had been that he had been excluded by Chaz on Darcy's orders but this was not exactly the case. Josh Denny, who was pounced on by Luna told them that George had border duty that evening, adding "I do not imagine that he minds so much; I suspect he wished to avoid somebody." This part of his disclosure, not heard by Luna was caught by LizE, and she felt that her first guess had been correct and that Darcy was still responsible for George's absence. Every feeling of indignation against Darcy was sharpened by her immediate disappointment. She looked around the room and spied him. He stood next to his friend, with Juno at Chaz's side as well and she glared at Darcy considering that any attention to or patience with him was injury to George. She breathed deeply, reciting a pledge to Juno, a pinkie-swear/sisters promise to behave in front of Will Darcy that evening. LizE resolved that her best plan would be to foreswear any conversation with Darcy at all, and turned away to seek LotE.

It was not in her nature to remain blue, and though her hopes for the evening were gone, she could not let her feelings remain low. She told all her troubles to LotE who shared some of her own: of long hours at the store and of her two brothers only showing cursory interest in learning the details of the import/export trade. John, who had just graduated from high school, had even said he wanted to leave and learn to help run the small, local power station which was mostly run by the Goulding family and not continue to work in the store.

An approaching figure made LizE cringe and she quickly pulled a face at LotE who laughed. William C. did a little bow and then held out his hand reminding LizE of their planned dance. She turned to look for sympathy from LotE but found her friend looking at her cousin in his usual long wizard-like robes with open eyes and a funny smile on her face.

Chaz had spared no expense for the dance area and somehow had found out about the talents of Lew the brew, a local resident, Uni student and the best music mixer and light czar in the county, probably on the whole peninsula. His first selection appeared to be something that appealed to everyone as LizE noticed a cross-generation selection of people were dancing. Her observations of the room and the participants were brought up short by her dance, if it could even be called that, with William C. It brought back the feelings in her gut of distress and mortification and she wondered at the perversity of having looked forward to an evening and to be so disappointed in it. Her cousin did not really know how to dance and seemed to have read books on 18th century line dances than to have ever danced to a modern beat or tune. He spent more time apologizing for not know how to dance than attempting to try to, which she would have preferred (that he simply try his best) and they get the whole thing over with as soon as they could. Lew seemed to have picked an extra-long song for the opening number, or perhaps LizE's mortification simply made it seem long. When his robe snagged on Edi Long's high heel and they had to stop to untangle themselves, LizE was almost ready to walk home in shame and misery. The moment of her release from him was ecstasy.

She returned to LotE with William C. trailing after her so she held her tongue and did not complain to her friend about the dance. LizE adopted a fake façade as her cousin stood next to her, thinking of general subjects to discuss, when she was surprised by her cousin inviting LotE out onto the dance floor. LotE smiled a wide smile, nodded and actually took his proffered hand and let William lead her out to the floor. LizE watched with incredulity at her friend's actions. The song was slower and more suited to William C.'s movements and she could see LotE's happy face as they twirled, holding hands. LizE frowned as she watched them.

Her hands were suddenly caught up by a couple. They were both in the militia and while she had met them once or twice in the previous weeks, LizE could not recall their names. They pulled her into the dancing, the three of them forming a little ring that then twirled and moved with perfect symmetry to the music. They didn't talk though there might have been some extreme flirting with eyes, shoulders and other body-parts. Apparently Lew had selected long songs for every set, but this time, LizE was not in a hurry for it to end. Even noticing Will Darcy out of the corner of her eye did not discourage her.

William Darcy had come that evening having promised his friend he would try to enjoy himself. The prospect of seeing LizE Ben again might have been a motivation though he wouldn't admit it. The past week Chaz and Will had been keeping to the house, having concluded all of the business that took them to the Netherfield Institute, so he had no stolen glances of her in the hallways or through his conference room window. His stated purpose that evening was to play host as he assumed Chaz would be too set on enjoying himself to remember all the little details that needed to occur.

He saw her when they first came in and admired that she felt no need for high heels; there was something sexy about her sensible, danceable flats. Caro had on a ridiculous pair of 4" heels and had been complaining about her feet since they first arrived. Busy for a while, Darcy had caught the tail end of her dance with such a ridiculous figure in a costume that brought to mind, for some reason, his aunt. He had then watched as she was lured out to the floor by a couple that set them all up in contrasts. He was quite tall, dark-skinned, she was strikingly fair, white-blond hair and tall for a woman and there was LizE, petite, yet dark and yet keeping up with the other two. Darcy could not keep his eyes off of the trio as they twirled like a carousel around the floor, laughing in such enjoyment of each other's company.

With her spirits returned, LizE stepped off the dance floor and found LotE again; both friends happy with their dance partners. LizE was too happy, too content and in the moment to tackle LotE as to why she enjoyed William C's company. LotE leaned over and said "Will Darcy is watching you, have you noticed?"

LizE replied that she hadn't though she had caught his eye for that brief moment during her dance.

"Perhaps it is because he still does not know many people in Meryton. You are, after all, one of the few people he knows well since you spent five days under his room," remarked LotE.

"I believe that Chaz Bingley rented that house, so it was Chaz's roof," countered LizE.

"Perhaps if you talked to him you would find more about him to like."

"I have pinkie-sworn to Juno to be nice to him tonight and I believe that I might best accomplish that goal by _not_ talking to him," frowned LizE.

"You never know LizE, you really might find that there are good qualities underneath that austere exterior."

"Heaven forbid! That would be the greatest misfortune of all! To find anything of quality when I am determined to hate him. Do not wish me such an evil."

LizE looked at the dance floor and saw most of her siblings. Juno was clasped tightly to Chaz in an intimate embrace; Mark was dancing with one of the militia members, and KitE and Luna, as usual, were in the large, writhing snake pit of figures all happy to be whirling around together. Cousin William came back with some water for LotE who gratefully gulped it down and then they headed back to the floor. This party was to feature more dancing than the Gala, apparently. The Gala induced more conversation, by its nature, since it also served to bring together work colleagues. Or, perhaps, Bingley served a better selection of alcohol.

Will Darcy appeared next to her a grin graced his face but he schooled it. He said a quick "hello," and LizE nodded her head though she wondered at his appearance and everything that LotE had said flew through her mind. He offered her a beer which she instinctively took and then looked down at it, wondering that it wasn't a glass of wine or some fancy Caro-special cocktail. She took a sip and found the dark ale a wonderful flavor and looked with surprise at Darcy. His face was perfectly blank and awaiting a response. She nodded her appreciation and his shoulders sagged as some tension lifted. They stood side by side for some time without saying a word. LizE could see some of her neighbor's amazed looks at their being, apparently, together. She was determined, despite the proffered ale to not speak to him, and was quite resolve not to break it and mentally wished he would go away; until suddenly she fancied that it would be a greater punishment to make him talk. She made an off-handed remarked about the dancers. He replied and was again silent. After a pause of some minutes, she tried him a second time with,

"It is _your_ turn to say something now, Will Darcy. I mentioned the dancers; you can say something about the hall or who is talking to whom."

He turned to smile at her, though she continued to look out at the crowds, and assured LizE he would say whatever she wished him to say.

"That reply will do for now. Perhaps I may remark that private parties are more fun than public ones, but we've said enough for now. We can be silent again."

"Do you always talk so much at parties?"

"Are you perhaps missing the nature of _social_ functions William Darcy, CEO?"

"Could you call me Will?"

"No, but I might be able to use Darcy. Now, back to our subject: social functions. One must speak a little you know. It would look entirely silly to go to a gala or a party or even a business meeting and be speak for thirty minutes at one time; and yet for the advantage of _some people_, conversations ought to be arranged so they have the trouble of saying as little as possible."

"Are you pandering to your own feelings or do you imagine that you are gratifying mine?

"Both," replied LizE archly, "for I see a similarly in how we both think. We are both unsocial and aloof in our make-up, not willing to speak unless what we have to say will amaze the whole room and be noted down for future generations."

"That cannot be a likeness of your character at all," cried Darcy. "How close it is to mine I can't say. _You_ think it a true blue portrait."

"I am never sure about my own conduct; how often we are wrong when we try to judge ourselves," said she.

They were silent again, watching the noise and the lights and the bodies. She couldn't decide if she wanted to step away herself, wanted Darcy to go voluntarily or for him to stay and talk. He asked her suddenly, with a crack in his voice, if she often walked into town? She answered that she sometimes did go to visit her aunt, and unable to resist, despite her promise, added, "when you saw us there the other day we had just met a new friend."

The effect on Darcy was immediate, she could sense him pull into himself even though he was still next to her and just at the periphery of her vision. She turned to look more closely at him and could see contempt, disgust and pain on his face before he set his features back to their usual blank mask. He said not a word as this passed and LizE, though blaming herself for her own weakness, could not press her advantage. He finally spoke. "George Wickham is a man blessed with those initial social skills that ensure his _making_ friends. Whether he is able to _retain_ them is a different matter."

"He has been unlucky as to lose _your_ friendship," replied] LizE, "and in a manner which he is likely to suffer from all his life."

Darcy did not answer and LizE could not forget her promise to Juno. They were both startled by the man in the bright green jacket, Darren Lucas was sneaking by on some errand but he stopped in front of them and shook Darcy's hand in greeting.

"This has been a wonderful night! I don't recall the town ever really having a proper dance before short of the high school dances. Who knew we had such superior dancers among some of our older folks in town?" And he waved out at the crowded dance floor which did include even married couples. "I do not understand why you two are not participating as well!" There was a finger-shaking to go along with that statement. "Though I do hope we have more of this type of entertainment if certain events come to fruition, Elizabeth," and he glanced over at Juno and Chaz. Darcy looked first at LizE as if realizing for the first time that her given name was Elizabeth then he was struck by Darren's words and looked more closely at his friend and Juno Ben. Whatever else Darren Ben had said, Will Darcy had not heard and he simply nodded to him as he walked off. Recovering himself, however, he turned to LizE and said "Mr. Lucas' interruption has made me forget what we were talking about."

"I do not think we were speaking at all. Darren has interrupted the two people in this room who have nothing to say. We have tried two or three subjects already with no luck. I don't know what we should do next."

"What about work? Could we discuss our work?" said he with a small attempt at a smile.

"Oh no, we work in two very different worlds. We don't even use the same language when we come to talk about what we do, the language of rail schedule and economics is so different than that of genetics and germination, no."

"I am sorry you think so, but can we not try? There can be endless topics to discuss. Think of all the things we could share with each other."

"No, I do not want to talk about work if I am watching people dance. The two things are incompatible in my head."

"The _present_ always occupies you in such cases?" he asked, with some doubt in his voice.

"Yes, always," she replied without knowing what she said because she was thinking of a certain day during her quarantine. She exclaimed suddenly and turned to face him fully. "I remember hearing you once say, Darcy, that you hardly ever forgave, that your resentment once created was insatiable. You are very cautious as to its _being created?"_

"I am," said he with a firm voice, catching her eyes.

"And never allow yourself to be blinded by prejudice?" She stepped in close to him.

"I hope not," he squared his shoulders.

"With those who never change their mind, they need to be sure of having judged correctly first," she was inches away from him now and had to lean her head back to maintain eye contact.

"Can I ask why all the questions?" he looked down into her eyes and then took a deep breath.

"Merely to the illustration of your total character," she said, trying to shake the sense of gravity that had clouded her mind and feelings. "I am trying to make you out."

"And do you?"

She shook her head and stepped a half step back. "I am not sure I can. I hear such different accounts of you that I am constantly puzzled."

"I can believe that tales about me vary greatly; and I would wish, Elizabeth, that you would not sketch that illustration just now as I fear that my likeness cannot be had properly in this place," he gestured with one hand in a vague way at the hall and the activities.

"But if I do not take your likeness now," and she smiled at the old-fashioned sound of the phrase, "I may never have another chance," she held up her hands in a mock way to frame his face before her. LizE had to admit it was a handsome face. She brought her hands down and knocked into his still out-stretched arm; he instinctively clasped her hand before releasing it. He shuddered.

"I will never stop you from doing whatever you wished to do," he replied and turned and walked away. They both felt the conversation unfinished; they were both unsatisfied with the outcome, though to differing degrees. For Will, powerful feelings for her soon overcame any resentful concerns and directed all his anger against another.

Caro came clicking up to LizE with an air of polite arrogance. "LizE! I hear you are quite taken with that playboy George Wickham. Your sister was talking to me about him; asking me and Lois a thousand questions. It seems that man forgot to tell you he is the son of old Wickham who had the running of Darcy Rail operations and didn't manage it very well at all. Let me give you some advice (as a friend) not to believe everything he says. Will has not used him as George says, it is entirely the other way around; George Wickham has treated Will Darcy in some wicked manner. I do not know the details, but I do know that Will is not in the least to blame. He can never stand to hear George's name mentioned. He was so relieved when he heard that he had sentry duty tonight. Why George had to pick _this_ militia to come to while we were all staying here is the most smart-alecky thing for him to have done. I really pity you, LizE for this discovery of your favorite's guilt."

"I cannot see what you accuse him of, Ms. Van Hale, other than being an old acquaintance of William Darcy, CEO of Darcy Rail, and with whom he has had a falling out. All this, I assure, I know."

"I beg your pardon," replied Caro, turning away with a sneer, "excuse my interference, it was kindly meant."

"Over-bearing, brazen woman!" said LizE to herself. "You cannot hope to influence me by such a trivial attack. I see you are entirely ignorant of the details and only mean to wound me and defend Darcy."

LizE went in a search of Juno, wishing to see more than the dance floor of the Skyline Hall. Juno happened to be alone, nibbling on some green appetizer at a food table. She wore a contented smile and had about her a glow of such elation that LizE could read everything in her, what had occurred and how Juno was feeling about the evening. LizE's uneasiness about George's situation, resentment for his enemies melted away in the glow of Juno's happiness. It radiated over LizE and her pleasure in her sister's happiness made her pause to enjoy the sensation.

LizE asked, "I want to know if you found anything out about George? But perhaps you have been too preoccupied to think of any third person; in that case you have my full support and are pardoned. I watched you two dance."

"No," replied Juno. "I have not forgotten him, but I have nothing to tell. Chaz does not know the whole history, and knows nothing of their falling out. He says he can vouch for the sincerity and honor of his friend and wholly believes that George Wickham has been quite reckless and deserved to lose Will's regard."

"Chaz doesn't know George himself?"

"No."

"Then his account of George can only have come from Darcy. I am satisfied. Did he say anything about George's exclusion from the business?"

"Caro said that his father had not run things well. Chaz said he had only known that they had a bad falling out between them."

"It does not follow that the son would be a poor manager, if the father was," said LizE. "No one seems to give any creditable reason why George was not given any role in the company, when it seems as if it should, by rights, be part his. Chaz's defense of his friend was quite strong, no doubt, but since he does not know the whole story, and has learned most of it from his friend, I shall continue to think of both men as I did before."

Chaz joined them and LizE gave her sister a quick hug and went off in search of LotE to see how her evening was turning out. LotE had also found the snacks tables, and had just asked LizE if she had been dancing when William C. came up to them, having been on some errand, and told LizE that he had just made a most important discovery.

"I have found out," said he, "by accident, but a happy accident, that there is _in this room_ a relation of my patroness. I happened to overhear the gentleman himself mention to another young lady about Rosings Park and Catherine de Bour. How wonderfully these sorts of things occur. Who would have thought of my meeting with perhaps a nephew of Catherine de Bour here! I am thankful that I made this discovery in time so that I can pay my respects to him which I am going to do now, and trust he will excuse me from having not contacted him before. My total ignorance of the connection must be my excuse!"

"You aren't going to introduce yourself to Mr. Darcy!" said LizE.

"Of course I am! I shall beg his pardon for being here all these weeks and not having driven over for a chat! I believe he is Catherine's _nephew_. It is in my power, just think, to assure him that she was quite well when I left Marin just two weeks ago."

LizE tried hard to prevent his interrupting Will Darcy, assuring him that Mr. Darcy did not consider the introduction necessary and would not need assurances about his aunt, that it was not necessary that there be any connection between them. William C. listened to her with the determined air of following his own desires, and when she stopped speaking replied: "My dear LizE, while I value your opinion when it is expressed about things you understand, allow me to say that this is something you cannot fathom. My calling in life gives me an equal rank with those in the highest stations in life in any land, or in any strata of society, provided that I maintain my humility. You must allow me to follow my conscience this evening which calls me to do what I see as a point of duty. Pardon me for not taking your advice, you have my assurances I will do so about other subjects. About this subject, I consider myself more prepared by education and clerical study to decide on what is right than a young woman like you."

He bowed to her, and then left to attack William Darcy, who was astonished at being addressed by William Collins, Receptor of the Church of the Grand Zephyr and devoted sycophant of his aunt Catherine de Bour. LizE could not hear a word of what was said, but she could see all the bows, the hand gestures and felt like she could read words from his lips "apology," "Rosings Park," "Catherine de Bour." Darcy's face was one of unrestrained wonder, and when at last William C. stopped and allowed Darcy to speak, he replied with some short civility. William C. then launched into another speech and Darcy's contempt grew abundantly clear as the speech carried on, and at the end of it, Darcy only made a little nod and moved away. William C. returned to LizE and LotE.

"I have no reason, I assure you," said he, "to be disappointed with the whole thing. Mr. Darcy seems a pleasant man and paid me a compliment saying he was convinced that Catherine de Bour never entrusted her services to those who were not worthy of them. On the whole, I am very pleased to have met him."

She did not answer him, and considered that the evening was early yet, for most of her family, though it held no further interest for her. There was to be no formal dinner but a break in the activities had been called as a large selection of food was served, buffet-style. Many of the guests filled plates with Cassandra Nicholls' specialties, LizE joining in the lines. She lost her friend and her cousin somewhere in the crowds at the serving tables, and decided she was content to eat alone. She meandered about, looking for a place to land, considering her sister and Chaz. Thoughts of the two of them together made her think she was, perhaps, almost as happy as Juno. She had an image of Juno settled in a pretty house, an image of bliss as they settled about the business of getting to know how to live together. It was ironic, in these times where there were thousands of abandoned homes and buildings, that so few young people left their parent's home for homes of their own when they became young adults. It was really only when someone got married, or got to the point in a relationship that they wanted to seriously live together that they moved out. In these more difficult times, there was also the protection of living in a larger group, and LizE laughed, bring to mind a tribal image of families.

Looking up, she realized that she was within two steps of the doors that led out to the lower patio; she backed into the doors, since her hands were full and found she was not alone in seeking the cool, fresh air. LizE lost herself in enjoying the food for many minutes, but she was recalled to where she was by her mother's voice. She looked up and was concerned to find that her mother was talking loudly to Daria Lucas of her wishes for Juno to marry Chaz and the number and beauty of the children they would have. It was an animating subject, and Fancy seemed incapable of fatigue while discussing all the details she thought important to point out. Charles Bingley was so charming, so rich and his sister seemed so fond of Juno that Lois too must wish such a connection. Better yet, if Juno hooked up with Chaz, then it would mean that all the other children would be exposed to an entirely different level of people outside their neighborhood and the Netherfield circle. She concluded with many good wishes that Daria Lucas be equally fortunate with her children and their choices of spouse though evidently believing there was no chance of it.

At the far edge of the patio stood Will Darcy; he appeared to be lost in thought and he was looking out in the darkness of the evening beyond the patio lights as one lost in thought. LizE could only suppose that voices would carry outside, and she tried to soothe her mother from speaking so loudly, but there was something in the set of his shoulders that told her that he could perceive the chief of Fancy's ramblings. Her mother just scolded her for being silly.

"Why should I worry about his hearing me why should that concern me? Should I be afraid of him? I do not need to consider what he thinks about that matter at all! I can say whatever I like!"

"Please mom," she whispered, "what good would it do Juno if you offended his friend? You will not be in Chaz' good graces if you anger his friend."

Nothing that LizE said, however, would soothe her mother, and Fancy continued on, in a warm tone, on the same subject. LizE set aside her plate, having lost her appetite for Cassandra's rather marvelous food. Will Darcy stayed at his post; her mother nattered on until she had exhausted the subject and had Daria Lucas yawning and they both finally tucked into their cold food. Other people filtered in and out of the building to take in the cool air, though by now it was getting chilly as the evening wore on. LizE felt no inclination for going back in as though nothing inside could lift up her spirits this evening. She looked out onto the hall parking lot and saw some cars leaving, and wished she jump in one of them and go home. If it was not so very dark, she would consider walking home. That would probably give Fancy a case of nervous fits though, even if she just joked about it. She finally realized she was all alone on the patio and cold in her party dress. It may be California, but it was still November and after ten o'clock at night. She went back inside.

A large set of tables were being arranged at the other end of the hall from the dancing, and LizE wandered over to see what was happening. Mara and Mark were directing the table set-up and in a flurry as they produced equipment from various bags, one of which she recognized as an old duffel bag of hers from high school. The twins set out eight tablets, connecting them together in a rectangle and hooked them up to some equipment she did not recognize. More movement then to make some adjustments to some equipment on the floor, and she saw that one of the pieces, a box-like device had a cable that ran from it to a specialized wall socket for higher-end equipment. LizE knew enough about specialized equipment because of her lab; some of it required special, dedicated electrical plugs. She frowned, her heart sinking as she watched all of the activity. Chaz Bingley was watching with a gleeful eye, like a conductor in front of his orchestra. When the twins nodded, Chaz clapped his hands for attention and then yelled to be heard over the crowds, though the other side of the room kept dancing.

"Friends, we have a special treat tonight. Mara and Mark Ben have been working on a special project for the Netherfield Institute: an improved, hyper-efficient greenhouse specially modified for growing seedlings at an accelerated rate. Since we are here to celebrate the Netherfield Institute tonight, I thought that a little demonstration would be a good idea. So I'll turn it over the Ben twins."

Mara and Mark came to stand in front of their set-up and took a small bow. Most of the room clapped, but a few in the audience eyed the set-up with some wariness, LizE was among these.

"Thank you," said Mara stepping forward. "We've rigged together eight holographic tablets so that we can show you the efficiencies of our greenhouse in all its three-dimensional glory." Mara continued on with her speech in her flat, engineering voice. Mark stepped aside to let her talk. LizE maneuvered herself up to the front, and tugged at his shirt sleeve.

"Where did you get the tablets?" she whispered.

"Nicked them," he grinned. She frowned at him in her best imitation of a parent, though neither Ben parent was much given to frowning. "Nah, school has loaned them to us until the end of the semester. Part of the project, to do some 3-D rendering of the project to point out the improvements we've proposed, that kind of thing."

Mara had paused in her speech, apparently having either bored her audience or having ended her introduction.

"We're on, wish us luck," said Mark, and he slipped back next to his sister.

Mara clicked a small controller in her hand and a large image burst into the air above the tables. It was a diagram of a small greenhouse (in green) on a large compass point showing the angles of the sun and how the fell in relation to the compass point at various times during the year. The crowd gasped as Mara had the sun click through its daily orbit on two selected days of the year showing the angles of shadow on the greenhouse. LizE had to admire how magnificent the imaging was and also heaved a sigh of relief that nothing had gone wrong.

"Now we'll zoom it out to show you the improvements on our greenhouse model," said Mark, taking the controller from his twin. He clicked a button and the tiny green greenhouse began to grow larger, turning transparent as it grew above the tables. Suddenly a spark burst from the wall and the entire room was dark. No hologram, no overhead lighting, no dance music, no dance lighting. Only shouting, some screaming, and a lot more swearing than LizE figured was possible.

It took Chaz five or six minutes to be heard over the din, but a solution was proposed and people suggested for it, and in the meantime, a lot of the guests filed out into the upper and lower patios, grabbing coats if they had them near. LizE followed the crowds outside to the lower patio. There were many voices grumbling about the disruption and other said they were done for the evening and would turn for home. She silently watched some make their way down to the parking lot and saw headlights illuminate the darkness and head down the hill. Against this flow, she noticed a pair of headlights make its way up the hill and she followed its course for want of anything better to do. The car parked, the lights dimmed and she could see two figures emerge. One went up towards the main entrance of the hall but the other figure came up the stairs to the lower patio. Halfway up LizE recognized Othman Farid from the Institute who was a biochemist. She moved along the edge of the patio so that she met him as he gained the top of stairs.

"LizE—there's been a break-in at the Institute! I've been sent to get Juno and Dan," he said as soon as he recognized her.

"I haven't seen her in a long time but imagine she's inside. They had a power outage."

"That would explain the lights," he grinned, "or lack thereof." They shoved thru what was now a crowded patio. Comm screens glowed as people had finally figured out to use them as lighting. "I see Dan, keep hunting for your sister for me, will you?" He ran off towards Dan Ma who was, like Juno, one of the principal scientists.

LizE worked her way through the room turning to look in all directions to find her sister but having no luck. Chaz was present, apparently directing the efforts to get the lights restored. She passed Caro Van Hale sitting at a table with her shoes off and rubbing her feet. Lois Hurst was calmly scrolling through something on her screen next to her. LizE felt the loss of having left her comm screen behind her for once. She moved out of the large hall and into the side hallway and began peering into some of the smaller conference-type rooms that Chaz had hired to be used as media rooms or resting rooms. Some had a half dozen or so people in them (like Lois, on their screens), some were empty. They were all particularly dark as that side of the building mostly butted up against a hill for all that they had windows.

In the fifth or sixth room, LizE found Juno and Alex Morris who also apparently come to find her and tell her about the break in as well.

"LizE!" cried Juno when she saw her sister, "I have to go back with Alex and Othman. There's been a break-in if you can believe it."

"Shall I come too?" asked LizE

"Only room for four," said Alex, not really looking at her.

"Make sure Mom and everyone gets home safely. I will comm Chaz. Probably not until after we leave otherwise he'd never let me go," and she walked past LizE without any more of a goodbye and Alex followed her out.

LizE found Othman and Dan and relayed the message though Alex commed them about the same time as she tapped them on the shoulders.

Mr. Goulding and his sons restored power about ten minutes later though by that time about half of the guests were gone. The Ben family, minus Juno, was still in full force. The dancing was continued and Lew put on a particularly energetic piece with lively colored lights probably as an attempt to restore people's moods. KitE and Luna could be seen dancing wildly, orbiting their much smaller snakeball group of friends like moons around a planet. Luna was especially wild, singing along often with words of her own invention. LizE stood and considered that it seemed as if every family member was doing their best that evening to show off, or draw attention in some particularly disastrous way. At least Juno and Chaz had their time together before she had run off. LizE worried about the Institute break-in and kept checking her ID band for news. She figured Lois, Caro and Darcy would take every opportunity of making fun of her and her family given the twins disastrous proejct and all of the other peculiarities her family had displayed that evening; they had certainly fueled enough gossip to keep the three of them busy for many days to come.

The rest of the evening was hardly bearable. She was talked to non-stop by William C. who found her once the lights came back on and spent many minutes protesting how scared she must have been (she could only assume he was afraid of the dark). He spent the rest of the night by her side and could not be prevailed on to dance with anyone else or cajoled into retrieving refreshments. He kept insisting his biggest concern was her safety and happiness for the evening, but his wariness made her wonder. LotE was her greatest relief for bearing what remained of the last hour and she also stuck by LizE's side and good-naturedly chatted with William C.

LizE was free, at least from any more conversation from Will Darcy who dared not approach her with her cousin so close, though he often stood a short distance from her, after leaving Caro and Lois at their table. He brought her no refreshments and opted not to speak to her again which she felt to be the probable consequence of her allusions to George Wickham. She rejoiced in it.

Her family finally decided to leave. Kai Hurst, who LizE had not seen all the evening, stood next to his wife and looked at her family as if they were purposefully keeping him from his bed. Lois complained of being tired and of the damper that the power outage had put on the whole temper of the evening. Caro only yawned, her shoes in her hands. Darcy stood in the shadows and LizE could not make out his features at all. Chaz talked. Mostly, he talked to Fancy as the two of them had much to say about Juno's flight from the party and had many words of worry to say about her safety. But as LizE had received nothing more than an 'I have arrived' comm and they had all received a general comm from Col. Forster, who was on duty, to say that the break-in had occurred but that the Netherfield Institute was secure, neither Fancy nor LizE had anything to add. But yet, Chaz had many questions to ask even if no one could answer them. It wasn't until Luna sank into a chair and yawed "Lord how tired I am!" that he seemed to recall where he was, how late it was and said good bye. Fancy invited Chaz to come over the next day for dinner and Chaz said he would be happy to come; and Fancy walked out of Skyline Hall satisfied that she would finally have one of her chicks leaving the nest.

* * *

A/N: sorry this is late. With graduations and funereal, I have not had time to edit.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

To be able to stay for the party, William Collins had been able to extend his stay an extra week to the following Saturday. Before he left, his patroness had charged him with recruiting new members and possibly finding himself a wife. Since he had failed in his first task (though he could not understand why he had not been successful, he considered his explanations of the attraction that flying with the Grand Zephyr in the next life perfectly adequate to everyone he had encountered on this trip), he felt sure of succeeding in his second task.

LizE was up early, despite the late night, wishing to pounce on Juno for information about the Netherfield break-in as soon as she was up. LizE had been asleep when Juno had returned home having sent no comms in the early morning hours about the goings-on. She nibbled at something for breakfast and then pulled on some work boots and headed outside, returning quickly to pull on a jacket as it was a chilly morning, but then headed to the faded rusty-red barn to visit Rowan.

William C. watched her go from his position in the family room. Having resolved on making a proposal to LizE without any loss of time he eased open the sliding glass door, only to find it stick part-way and he could not push it any further so he pushed his belly through the opening. No shyness or nervousness overcame him at the idea of proposing marriage, there was no sense of wonder for him at the outcome; he imagined the whole scene in an orderly fashion, a set of stepping stone that led to a particular place. He could not and did not imagine that there might be more than one path in his life; he could only imagine a meek "yes" at the end of his proposals from LizE.

LizE had not yet reached the barn but was passing the long side of the vegetable greenhouse when he caught up with her.

"May I ask for some private words with you Miss LizE?"

She stopped and turned to look at his flushed face (he had jogged to catch up with her). He had torn a button from his tunic and it gaped opened. She was glad to see he wore an undershirt. "Private words? We can talk here, no one is about William."

"Yes, you can call me William. You can perhaps guess what I have to say but do let me say it. You cannot doubt the reason for our talk thought your female delicacy may well try to conceal it; my attentions have been quite obvious towards you this past week, you cannot be mistaken about them. Almost as soon as I entered this house I singled you out as my future companion on this flight. But before I let my feelings run away I should outline all my reasons for marrying."

LizE stood staring fixedly at the gap in his garment wondering how to extract herself from the whole ludicrous situation. The idea of William C. _ever_ being in a position that he was over-whelmed with emotion was so ridiculous that she almost barked out laughing, so she smiled instead. He took that as encouragement.

"My reasons for marrying are first that I think it is the correct thing for a Receptor to do to set himself up as the example of matrimony—one man and one woman—secondly I am convinced it will make me happy and thirdly that it is the particular advice and recommendation of that noble lady who is my patroness. Twice she deigned to tell me so. Once, just before I left. Mr. Jinks was just getting ready to give her a pedicure and she said 'Mr. Collins, you must marry. A Receptor _must_ be married. Choose a proper wife, let her be the proper sort of help mate for you for the church, but not brought up too high. Find such a woman and bring her home to our little fold.' Allow me, by the way, to say that the notice and kindness of Catherine de Bour is one of the best advantages I can offer you. You will find her style, both of her appearance, but also of the way she addresses people beyond anything I can describe; and your wit and liveliness will be a wonderful addition to our 'little fold,' as she said so long as you do so with proper deference, and perhaps, silence. Now, I guess I needn't do any more explaining, but simply tell you, as I am supposed to do, how much I love you."

She held up a hand. "You are too hasty," she cried. "Let me answer. Thank you for the proposals but I must say no," she shook her hand with each statement.

"I have learned," replied William C. with a dismissive wave of his hand, "that young women can be quite the teasers when it comes to marriage proposals and will reject a man they actually hope to accept. I shall hope to wed you yet!" and he shook his finger at her.

"Upon my word!" cried LizE "I have never heard of such a thing, to say no when you mean yes. What sort of person does that? I am not one of those creatures who would dare. You could not make me happy nor could I make you happy. I do not think your patroness would approve of me; I am quite sure I would not fit into your little 'fold.' "

He paused, "were it certain that Catherine de Bour would think so," he said gravely "but I cannot imagine that she would disapprove of _you_." And he smiled at her in a way that made her stomach turn. "I will, of course, comm her with information of your meekness, modesty, economy and other wifely qualifications."

"Mr. Collins! Your praise of me will be unnecessary. Allow me to be my own judge and pay me the compliment of believing what I say. I wish you happy and content with your faith and luck in all your endeavors," she turned to leave and had taken two quick steps but he addressed her yet again.

"When I next speak to you I hope to hear a better answer, though I am not yet accusing you of cruelty because I know that women like to play these sorts of games. You have said enough, even now, to encourage me to continue to pursue you."

"Really Mr. Collins!" cried LizE with some anger, turning, "you puzzle me if you think what I have said is encouraging! I do not know how to say no in such a way to convince you of its true meaning."

"I must flatter myself that your words are only words, of course. I have much to offer you as far as I can see. My position as a Receptor, my connections with the de Bour family are both highly in my favor. Why Catherine de Bour is Lewis de Bour's widow. He was _the_ de Bour shipping magnate, you know, trans-Pacific and trans-Atlantic shipping? _She's rich_. And really, if you are twenty-five now, your beauty will fade in the next few years. What man will want you at thirty? So I must, therefore, conclude that you are not serious in rejecting me. You wish to create some sort of suspense for me."

"I do not aspire to torment men or anyone in such a manner Mr. Collins. I do not play such head games. I would rather be paid the compliment of being believed sincere. I cannot accept your proposals. My feelings in _every way_ forbid it. Can I speak plainer? I do not love you. Please consider me a rational creature speaking the truth from her heart," she cried taking two more steps backwards.

"You are so charming!" cried William C. with an air of awkward gallantry. "I am not dissuaded and sure that even your parents will support such an alliance."

LizE was flabbergasted at his self-deception. She argued no further with him and turned to walk purposefully to the barn. She could only consider that no one in her family would support such an idea as marrying so absurd a man, let alone the oddness of his being a second or third cousin.

* * *

William C. lingered on the lee side of the greenhouse as he considered what to him had been a successful proposal. Those stepping stones, after all, only led to one destination. Fancy came walking around the end of the greenhouse and approached him. He did not notice her at first as he stared off at some distant point with a stupid grin on his face.

"Mr. Collins?" she called him to the present. "What are you doing outside without a coat? It is quite a chilly morning. Your attire, pardon me, while it always looks comfortable, strikes me as rather thin."

"Oh no. I am quite warm. I am glowing in the happy prospects of love. May I ask you to congratulate me, Mrs. Ben? I have secured the hand of your daughter LizE in marriage."

"Are you sure you have been successful?" cautioned Fancy. She had been tending some vegetables in the greenhouse when William C. had caught up with LizE and sprung his long-winded proposal. Fancy's initial reaction had been one of excitement at the idea of a child married, the prospect of grandchildren. It was not many more minutes into the declaration that Fancy considered _who_ was doing the proposing. She shuddered then. As much as he was driving them all crazy and Fancy had been inventing more errands and excuses during the day so as not to be around him, she could not wish such a partner on LizE. Nor could she imagine such a son-in-law, or what sort of children they might have; she could only conjure up an image of fat, roly-poly puppies in her mind, not babies.

"Oh yes. I take her refusal as only due to her bashful modesty and the genuine delicacy of her womanly character," replied William C.

"LizE is a sensible yet headstrong young woman who absolutely know her own interests." This brought him up short. He looked down at her small stature, her arms on her hips. A woman, like her daughter, who knew her own interests.

"Well madam, if what you say is true; perhaps she would not be the best choice of wife for a Receptor. Headstrong, hmmm. If she actually persists in rejecting my suit perhaps it would be better to not have you force her into accepting me. I did not know women could have such defects of personality; these sorts of things would not make me happy."

"Sir, I think you are correct in this situation," answered Fancy.

"If you are seeking some meek, good-natured woman for a wife, you had best look elsewhere." They walked back together to the house, each lost in their own thoughts.

* * *

Fancy immediately sought out Tom.

"Gracious, what have you done to us with such relations dearest?" and she sank into a chair in his study having burst in without knocking. Tom raised his eyes from his comm screen as she entered and fixed them on her with a calm unconcern which was not in the least altered by her actions.

"I don't understand you, my dear," said Tom. "What are you talking about? Is it one of the children again?"

"Of that William Collins and LizE. Did you know what I just overheard while picking winter lettuce in the veg greenhouse? That William Collins of yours proposed to our LizE."

"My ridiculous cousin wants to marry my LizE?" That got him to look up and sit back in his chair.

"Yes, I said we had a fox in the hen house, didn't I? I always suspected he had an ulterior motive for coming here."

"What did she say?"

"She turned him down of course!"

"Call her in here!" said Tom and Fancy went out to find LizE. Her daughter had returned from feeding Rowan and was taking her mucky boots off at the kitchen door. Fancy dragged a startled LizE off to Tom's study without telling her why.

"Come in Littlebit," said Tom as soon as they appeared. "I have sent for you on a matter of importance. As a scientist you know all about fact-checking so I am going straight to the source. I understand from your mother that my cousin Mr. Collins made you an offer of marriage. Is this true?"

LizE's body flushed from her hair to her feet as she experienced a mixture of emotions. In a large family, secrets were often difficult to keep but she had hoped this one mortifying secret would be one that she would never have to disclose to anyone. She looked from her father to her mother in open-mouthed astonishment.

"How did you find out?" she whispered to her mother.

"I was in the vegetable greenhouse," answered Fancy.

"So this idiot of a man has asked you to marry him?" asked Tom. "And you refused the offer?" He leaned forward an inch.

"I did."

Tom leaned back. "Very well. Now we need to decide what to do next."

"He has definitely over-stayed his welcome, my dear," cried Fancy. "I do not think we owe him any more hospitality and should throw him out, let that patroness of his, Catherine de Bour, take him back. Throw him out on his big fat backside!"

"Has he done anything wrong that we can accuse him? He is a misguided, shallow, swollen-headed idiot of a man but did he do anything wrong in asking LizE to marry him?" Tom looked from LizE to his wife.

"A fox in a hen house is what he is or a wolf after my lambs," said Fancy putting an arm about LizE. LizE had to smile at her mother's endearing mental picture and the defense of her. "We should not have to put up with him. _He invited himself to stay practically an extra week," _she said with feeling. "He can go home today." And she hugged LizE even tighter with both arms this time. Tom looked at his wife and daughter.

"LizE, you have been very quiet. What do you have to say about this?"

"I think if we ask him to leave we shall have to explain to our friends and neighbors why he has gone suddenly when he spent all of last night telling them he was staying an extra week." She freed her arms to hug her mother back. LizE was perhaps an inch taller than Fancy but it was clear who she resembled in height and coloring, even if, in personality, she was her father's 'twin.' "I do not think I can bear to let this be one secret we let our neighbors make sport of."

"You have an excellent understanding of our neighbors then, LizE, if you know that they would have a grand time laughing about this. Now, let me have my study back," and he turned back to his screen.

Fancy fussed over LizE all the way back to the kitchen worrying that it would be too much on LizE's nerves (and too much on Fancy's nerves) to have to tolerate William C's continued presence. LizE thought Fancy's hovering might be too much for _her_ nerves.

William C., meanwhile, had been meditating in solitude in his room on what had happened. He thought too well of himself to truly understand why LizE might have refused him, and though his pride was hurt, he really did not suffer from the rejection. His feelings for her were all imaginary and he felt no regret at contemplating a withdrawal of his offer. Not having noticed his torn garment, he crept down the stairs to find LizE still in the kitchen with her mother. He bowed to them, a stiff bend from the waist, a ninety-degree angle bow, or as much as his belly would allow. LizE looked on wide-eyed and reached out to grab her mother, and they put their arms around each other again.

"My dear madam," and he addressed a point over Fancy's right shoulder, and not LizE, "let us be forever silent on this subject," his voice broke as he was speaking, "I want you to know I do not resent your saying no to me."

He returned to his room and they were lucky to not see him again until late in the afternoon.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

LizE and Fancy stood and watched him go, holding onto each other until they realized that they were holding their breaths and let go of each other as they inhaled. LizE pulled a chair out and sat into it and threw her head in her arms on the table. Fancy sat next to her.

"That man is an imbecile," LizE told the table and took a deep breath and blew it out forcefully.

"Who is LizE?" asked Juno. LizE closed her eyes. She had been so anxious about Juno and hearing about Juno's news for the past twelve hours and now LizE just wished for fifteen minutes of rest and solitude or maybe even ten minutes of discussion with her mother about the whole affair before they agreed to bury it. Such was the life in big families. LizE slowly drew herself back up to look at Juno; she had no idea how she appeared to her sister, whether her appearance was tidy or disheveled; whether she looked calm or as over-whelmed as she felt inside, all a shambles.

"Cousin William. I think Meryton needs to hire him as the village idiot, I really do Juno."

Juno was the oldest sibling to four sisters and one brother. She pulled a third chair out at the table and sat facing her beloved second sister. "What has happened LizE?"

LizE looked at Fancy who nodded then got up as if off on some suddenly important errand and left them alone.

She began with a sigh, then she rolled her eyes, laughed, then she launched into a brief account of William C.'s proposal. She ended sarcastically, "we all thought _someone_ in this house might be proposed to, we just never figured it would be _me!"_ And she slumped back down with her head in her arms.

"I cannot believe he is in love with you," fretted Juno, "poor man."

"Of course he isn't in love with me; he's just fancied some ideas in his holes-for-brains head about me! He went on and on about my modesty and meekness and I couldn't help but wonder who he was talking about!" She turned her head to look across at Juno. "And being quiet, he said I should feel inspired to silence or something along those lines, when I came face-to-face with Catherine de Bour, his patroness. As if I have ever been a good model for a statue!" she sat up again and struck a pose with her arms held up at odd angles and her fingers splayed out and her mouth opened wide as if in shock.

Juno laughed heartily and reached across the table playfully. "The poor man, I have to feel sorry for him, sorry for his being rejected and sorry because he does not know and appreciate you LizE Ben. He tries so hard, William does, and his faith is obviously so important to him."

"Well don't tell anyone else about the proposal. I would die if this got out." LizE pantomimed stabbing herself and falling over in her chair. Juno laughed more.

"I will keep your secret Elizabeth Frances Ben." She held up one hand in the air, "I Juno Alexandra Ben promise to keep your secret."

"Juno—Alex—the break-in!" spluttered LizE who slapped two hands down on the table. "I've been so distracted by that blithering village idiot. You've been a bad girl! You never commed me any details about the break-in and being whisked away with Dan and Othman and Alex and _what happened?_" She felt like reaching across the table and shaking her sister's shoulders.

Juno's face dimmed and her smile disappeared. "It wasn't really anything."

"Not 'really anything.' "cried LizE, "that is all the explanation I get? For all the worrying I did last night, 'it wasn't really anything.' "

Juno pursed her lips. "The Farid brothers saw some people outside of the Institute. Perhaps you know, maybe you don't, but Othman and Malik live in the on-site dorms. So they contacted Col. Forster who was on duty last night, thankfully. She and her on-duty militia team came to the Institute immediately and searched the grounds and the outside of the building. Whoever it was did break windows and get inside. E_veryone_ knew about the party so they thought it would be better to send Othman and Alex for Dan and I to be able to identify what sort of damage was done to the inside of the building. Col. Forster was worried if she simply commed us about the break-in word might get around the party quickly and people would panic. So she sent messengers to pull us out as quietly as possible. We spent a lot of time going room by room at the Institute. It just took a long time, that's all. I was tired when I got home." Juno was looking intently at the countertop behind LizE but not catching her sister's eyes.

"Was anything taken? Did they do any damage?"

"Some equipment was destroyed but we think it was just maliciously done, not that it was some organized Luddite group who object to our work."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because they took all the cannabis seeds, they took a few other seeds and raided the staff fridge. That does not sound like some group who objects to the Institute's plans. I'd expect them to be more destructive, less hungry," Juno smiled a little.

"This will unnerve a lot of folks in town. Think of Mrs. Lucas' reaction to this news. It was a wise call on Col. Forster's part to pull you and Dan out stealthily." She contemplated calm LotE trying to placate Daria Lucas' hysterics when this news broke and did not envy her the task. Another question popped into her head. "Why was Alex at the Institute? Why did he come get you? I would have assumed he'd come to the party?"

Juno blushed and stared down at the table. She did not answer for many minutes and while LizE felt tempted to prompt her sister again, other wild speculations flew through her mind about Juno and Alex, most of which she discounted, so she waited for her sister to answer.

"He kissed me."

"He kissed you, Alex Morris kissed you?"

"Yes, Alex kissed me. Remember last Sunday when I went to work? There weren't many people around and I was trying to catch up because I had been so sick. I was in my lab and he came in to ask some question and then suddenly grabbed my shoulders and kissed me and then he held me tightly and wouldn't let go of me and said he's been in love with me since we first started working together two years ago. He said how much he adored me and how sorry he was he had not asked me out yet. He knew I was seeing Chaz, but hoped it wasn't too late for him."

"Juno, sweetie!" LizE felt awkward, all the more so because they were separated by the table, "what did you do?"

"I had to push him away to get him to stop talking. I told him I was dating Chaz and I just didn't feel the same about him. He argued with me and I had to ask him quite forcefully to leave." Tears, so unusual to her demeanor, feel on the kitchen table. LizE was glad it was a weekend morning and the rest of their siblings were likely to be long in bed. "He's been mopey and moody around me all week and tried hard to not talk to me if he didn't have to. When Edi asked him about the party he snapped at her that he hadn't been invited and she later joked with me that Chaz must have been jealous of him—and with _good cause_—to not invite him!" She was really crying now. LizE crawled straight across the table to stroke Juno's hair. Juno sniffed and gulped and the tears quieted. "I don't know why he was at the Institute last night, if he was still working or maybe someone like Col. Forster called him, but he volunteered to come to the party to get Dan and me."

LizE swung her legs around so she was sitting on the tabletop and could hold Juno. "Something else happened, didn't it? He was a beast."

"After the disaster with the lights, Chaz was busy setting things to rights and Caro came up and said something off-handed about how talented the twins were. And it really stung, LizE, it really stung. So I ran off to one of those small rooms at Skyline Hall to right myself. Somehow, Alex found me there in the dark with just the glow of his comm screen. He kissed me again; said he had regretted being so distant all week and playing the fool when he'd rather be close to me. I couldn't find any words to say to him. Then he told me about the break-in and how Col. Forster had sent him to fetch me. I was so torn; I wanted to go help but I didn't want to go with Alex. But I couldn't _not_ _go_. He pleaded with me to go out with him once we got away from the crowds and I had to keep telling him no. He didn't say anything in the car because we were with Othman and Dan then. I made sure to never be alone the rest of the night. Col. Forster thought we might be faster dividing up but I pleaded safety, you never knew if someone might still be inside and jump you, so we stuck together. Later Col. Forster told us it was probably wise as there's been an upsurge in body snatchers in the state though the militia doesn't like to discuss it because it makes people panicky."

"Seems like a story from the past, body snatching, selling body parts; we studied it in history," shuddered LizE. She hopped down to sit in the chair next to Juno.

"There's a whole underground industry resurgence. Because of antibiotic resistance, people resort to replacing organs damaged by infections. And what was really shocking is the underground trade in organs for beauty!

"What!"

"It is the latest trend in beauty at the high end, or rather; it's been going on for years I just never knew about it. To keep yourself from aging on the outside, replace your organs, get younger on the inside."

LizE leaned so far back in the chair it almost tipped over. "Apparently we have led sheltered lives Juno. Have you truly appreciated what Fancy and Dad have done for us?"

"I know," agreed Juno. "We've had a terrific upbringing here."

LizE looked across to the same countertop as Juno. "So, have you kissed him?"

"Alex?" croaked Juno.

"No, Chaz." She could feel Juno pull her shoulders together but she didn't look at her and let her answer.

"Yes."

"Good?" asked LizE.

"Good," answered her sister.

"Morning!" called a voice behind them and Mara came shuffling in on slipped feet. "What…time is it?" she yawned.

"Has to be after eleven, you lazy bones!" called LizE as she rose from her chair. She patted Juno on the shoulder, kissed a startled and unappreciative Mara and departed.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

After lunch, LotE came to spend the afternoon with her best friend. It was a different afternoon from the previous long Sunday spent in the orchard and LotE sensed something strained in LizE's manner. William C also kept to his room or whatever part of the house LizE had just vacated which LotE also noted. The two friends talked about the party a little, but discussed the break-in far more; LotE sharing her mother's histrionics when the general comm to all of Meryton had been sent out with the official line: that hooligans in search of marijuana plants and seeds had broken in, nothing more. Daria had, of course, screamed and carried on, and had refused to let the Lucas teenagers leave the house, which had Leo, and ConE feeling especially rebellious. LotE had been happy to get away to visit the Bens.

LotE stayed past nightfall. Her politeness in lending an ear to William C. was a timely relief to the whole family, but especially to her friend. Mr. Collins emerged from his room in the late afternoon with a bullish attitude about him. His feelings were worn about him like his long robe and chief among this was not a hint of embarrassment of the episode, or any sorrow, but an exacerbated stiffness of manner to everyone, except LotE the one person he fawned over with a warmth that contrasted to the chilly way he treated the rest of the Ben household. LotE bore it well, and could not help ascertain or at least guess what had happened during the course of the day. When she was in the front hall saying goodbye, she tapped her comm screen before tucking it away and mouthed to LizE, "comm me with what's going on." LizE sent a short, succinct note to her friend with explicit instructions that the story was to go no further. LotE promised she would keep her secret.

LizE and Juno returned to work and left the house, grateful for a destination away from the vaporous stiffness of their cousin. The family had thought William C. might shorten his visit given his disappointed matrimonial hopes, but his plans did not appear to be affected by it. No Ben asked, and William did not offer. He always meant to go on Saturday and to Saturday he meant to stay. The family did their best to avoid him and was happy he continued his usual pattern of heading out in his sub-compact electric car (charged, courtesy of the Bens) for the day.

Juno drove home through Meryton that evening. LizE did not question the alternate route. The downtown area was as busy as it usually was which wasn't much for a small town. There were a few cars on the road, more parked around the square or on side-streets and people shopping or visiting. LizE enjoyed being a voyeur and watching her neighbors, imagining their errands and conversations.

"Juno, there's George and that other officer, um, Sandoval. Let's stop and say hi!" cried LizE. Juno agreed and maneuvered the small car into a tight space with ease. LizE hailed George Wickham and was pleased when she saw his face break into a wide grin at her hailing. He and his friend stepped up to the car, George leaning in to talk while Raul Sandoval stood to one side. She immediately expressed how much she had missed him Saturday night and he, in return, expressed regret at missing out on seeing her.

He also acknowledged that his missing the party had been self-imposed. "I found," said George, crouching down to talk through the lowered window, "that as the time for the party drew near, that I felt it better for me not to see Will Darcy; that to be in the same room at the same party with him for so many hours together might do me in, that it would have been more than I could stand. So when Jane asked for volunteers for patrol, I bellied up."

LizE thought well of his self-control, and reached out a hand to cover his.

"Plus I got to be in with the action, I was one of the first responders to Netherfield, Raul and I here had to secure the grounds, didn't we, while we waited for Jane, Col. Forster, you know, to show up," Raul Sandoval nodded.

"Juno, you didn't tell me you saw George," cried LizE turning to her sister. She then faltered as she recalled the sort of night Juno had experienced.

"Well there were a lot of us by the time Juno showed up, perhaps I got lost in the shuffle," and he grinned even more.

"I remember seeing you there very well indeed," answered Juno. "I suppose _who_ was there wasn't as important as _what _went on that night. I still don't think I've caught up on sleep," she smiled, one of those innocent smiles on her part but which the men shudder.

"I take that as a hint that you should be on your way, ladies," and he stood up and saluted. Raul did the same.

"Do come to dinner," burst out LizE. "It would just be a family meal, but do come to dinner. You too Raul."

"I'm on patrol tonight," answered Raul, "but I believe that George is free."

"Yes, yes I am, but I have plans, sorry ladies." He saluted them spiritedly and then waved them off. LizE felt excited at the exchange with George and wondered when she'd get the chance to talk to him again.

It was Mark's week to cook, which would have been a nice contrast to the teenagers' menus, and as they were already nine, what was one more? LizE felt sure she could at least comm George after the meal and make plans. During the dinner a chime sounded from Juno's chair and she glanced down at her F.I.D. band, and then glanced again, scrolling through a comm and frowning intently at some particular sentences. Juno finally recollected where she was and looked up with a friendly face and joined back in the conversation with her upbeat outlook on how quickly the Netherfield Institute would recover after the break-in. LizE felt she could see something in Juno's manner, in her eyes, which concerned her. It wasn't either of their nights to help clear the table, but they helped lend a hand for a few moments to placate Fancy whose task it was before Juno inclined her head and invited LizE to follow her to the rumpus room.

Juno indicated her wrist, "It is from Lois and Caro; a short comm from Lois and a longer one from Caro. What they have to tell me has surprised me a great deal. The whole gang of them has left the area by this time, and are on their way to Los Angeles: and without any intention of coming back again. Let me read to you what she says."

She then read the first sentence from Lois aloud, which said that they had all resolved to go to LA immediately where Kai has a house. The next words were "I do not pretend to regret anything I shall leave here except your company, my dearest friend; but we will hope at some future time to meet again, in the meantime I hope you are as good at comming with friends as you are at your work. I hope so." To these flowery words of friendship, LizE listened with distrust and though their sudden flight quite surprised her, she didn't see anything to be upset about. Chaz would come back soon enough, and might get on even better with Juno without the influence of his sister and his friend.

"I am sorry you could not say goodbye to Lois and Caro. They have been kind to you, in their way, during their stay here. But surely Chaz will come back again soon, even if they do not plan to come back to Meryton. What has Chaz said about all of this?"

"I have not heard from Chaz since the early morning of the break-in. And Caro, in her comm says that none of the party plans to return at all this winter. Let me read you parts of her comm."

LizE frowned at the news of Chaz' electronic silence and listened while Juno read " 'Many of our friends are in LA for the winter. Darcy, of course, and Chaz, can be masters of business from any spot in the land, so why not one where we are surrounded by our friends, as well as by our work? I wish I could hear that you had any intention of making one of the crowd but understand about your work and being tied down. We will be able to celebrate both Thanksgiving and Christmas with our special crowd of friends. I hope that your upcoming holidays have all the pleasures that you associate with them, however you celebrate them, that your beaux be numerous and you do not miss your new friends too much.' "

"Is this not proof," added Juno, "that he does not mean to come back here?"

"It is only proof that Caro does not think he should," answered LizE.

"How can you say that? He is his own master. But you do not know it _all._ I _will_ read you the passage that was particularly hurtful. 'Will is impatient to see his sister, and to confess the truth, _we_ are all eager to see her again. I don't think there is a creature on earth who is her equal for beauty and elegance. Her mother, after all, was a model. Lois and I quite adore her, and Lois has dropped hints that she may not finish up Uni single. I don't know if I ever told you of the times I have seen Chaz and GEO together and the hopes that Lois, and I—for I think they make just a compatible pair—have for them? I know Chaz likes her, and you surely know that he is quite capable of making any woman fall in love with him. We expect this winter just might be when they realize how right they are for each other.' What do you think of _that_ sentence LizE?" said Juno as she finished reading, scratching at her skin next to the band, "Isn't it clear? She realizes that Chaz is indifferent about me, that this has been just a fling for him while he's been in town and she is trying to warn me. Can there be any other way to interpret this?"

"Yes there can for I see it in a completely different light. Will you listen to what I think?"

"Yes."

"Caro, and probably Lois, sees that Chaz is in love with you but wants him to be in love with GEO. She and her friends are in town to try and persuade him that he does not love you."

Juno shook her head as LizE spoke.

"You have to believe me. No one who has ever seen you with Chaz can doubt his affection; Caro cannot, I am sure, she is smarter than that. Could she have seen half that much interest from Will Darcy she'd be planning her wedding. But they simply find us far too middle class, or at least Lois does, and Caro aspires to be one of them, and snag Will Darcy if she can. I believe Caro thinks that if Chaz would be interested in GEO, and even marry her, she might have an easier time of snagging Darcy and giving up having to work for a living and be able to follow Lois around in her lifestyle of being 'between jobs.' Perhaps it might succeed if Anne Oakham were not in the picture. But Juno, you cannot believe that just because Caro says that Chaz admires GEO that means he does not love you? When you left him at his party on Saturday how did things stand? I think every time I saw you that evening you two had your arms wrapped around each other. I do not think that indicates just a fling to me."

"If we both thought the same of Caro," replied Juno "perhaps your view might have some merit and make me feel easier. But I cannot believe that Caro would willfully deceive me about such things, or that Lois would support her. I can only think and hope that Caro has somehow deceived herself."

"Do not fret about her then, you have done right by her since you cannot find any comfort in my words, believe her to be deceived."

"How can I be happy, even considering the best situation, if his sister and his friends do not wish for us to be together, for him to seek a soul mate elsewhere?" cried Juno.

"That is something you must decide for yourself," said LizE, "and if you decide that what other people think is more important than your happiness, then I advise you to have nothing more to do with Chaz Bingley when he returns to Meryton."

"How can you joke about such a thing" said Juno, smiling faintly. "You have to know I would be grieved if they did not support us, but I would not hesitate to love him more."

"I didn't think you would, and now I have made you state your mind, so I have you on record." LizE grinned broadly. "I should have recorded it, but I don't think you have much to worry about."

"But what if he does not come back as they say, for the winter season? It is just beginning. I cannot fathom not seeing him for three more months, let alone longer."

The idea that Chaz Bingley would not be back within the week LizE treated with contempt. It appeared to her merely the wishes of Caro and possibly those of Lois; but she could not suppose that those desires would influence him to stay away.

She was passionate about her view on the matter and soon persuaded Juno to think the same for all that Chaz had not commed her. LizE soon had Juno persuaded as well, which was not a difficult task, as she was not by nature given to be despondent, and was soon aglow with hope at the prospect of Charles Bingley's short absence and answering the wishes of her heart.

"What do you mean he's gone away!" cried Fancy when they shared the news with her. They had agreed to tell their mother, but there was no way to prepare her so the news was simply imparted during breakfast. Fancy spent the rest of the meal lamenting that all of Juno's new friends had gone away, but she was consoled, in some measure, by considering that he would soon return, and without the sister or friends or the business at Netherfield Institute, he would have more time to focus on Juno.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

LotE commed her friend about getting together in the evening. LizE suggested she come over in the evening after they both finish their working day. LizE was unsure of Juno's spirits and wanted to be on-hand for her sister. What LizE did not know was LotE had more motivations for wishing to come over than just spending time with her friend. She alone had not been shocked by William C.'s proposals to her friend when LizE explained her odd behavior, and his, from the day before. She understood his motivations: his desire to marry, to have children; she valued her friend highly so she could understand why he would too. LotE also had listened to his lectures and felt a growing alignment with what he had to say about the Grand Zephyr.

LotE beat LizE and Juno to the Ben house and was quietly talking to their cousin. This satisfied many of the family, particularly the high school girls who felt especially put upon between the time of his home-coming from his daily wanderings and their older sister's homecoming from work. LizE had a chance to change clothes before she joined her friend, and lingered in her room reluctant to go downstairs to the society of William Collins. William C. did not react on this day with the same sort of angry pride that he had on the two previous days. LotE's presence kept him in a good humor, even if he seemed inclined to want to always be in her presence, so LizE spent far more of the evening with her cousin than she envisioned she would.

They spoke of Meryton news, of their small town's power storage station and how John had formerly said he would prefer to work at the utility station than the family's store. Mr. Lucas had nothing to say either way about the matter which meant John felt he could do as he wished, and left Phil to help LotE. And Phil was still a reluctant partner in the import/export store, having not learned much of the business in the two years he had worked with his sister. Maria, the next Lucas in seniority, was still at Uni with two years to go.

There had been no news about the militia. Apparently Col. Forster was keeping a low profile on what the militia was doing after the Netherfield Institute break-in and the Institute itself was not discussing much about what was actually taken or missing beyond what had been officially discussed in the release on Sunday morning.

LotE stayed for dinner and while LizE dawdled afterwards and helped her mother clear the table (Fancy grumbling about having to clean up after _two_ guests), LotE and William C. walked out to the orchard and back. LizE thanked her friend for keeping their cousin occupied and in good spirits. LotE assured LizE she was happy to be of use. One more evening with William C. had convinced LotE Lucas that the fledging belief in his faith had grown wings. She had become a convert and wanted to follow both the Grand Zephyr _and_ William Collins. The trouble was he was to leave in four days and she was not sure how to approach him.

She did not have enough faith in recognizing the fire or independence of his character for when he left the Ben's house the next morning he escaped into the town, as usual, but drove to the far end where the Lucas Import/Export Store and warehouse was located. LotE was in her office above the store (her brother Phil had not come in yet) and John had gone to talk to Mr. Goulding about work. Fawn showed William C. into her office, having brought him up from the retail store floor. LotE's reception of him was very welcoming.

William C. was anxious, more so than on Sunday morning, and though he felt secure in attempting another proposal (and with reason, for LotE had been very encouraging in the orchard) he was far more hesitant than he had been when proposing to LizE. He had to propose with the same long-winded style as before though this time, perhaps, he was run away with a little more emotion. And this time, he received a different answer.

There was a lot to talk about and LotE was thankful she had a private office and a lazy brother. They discussed wedding plans, and Catherine de Bour, his charming house and spent a lot of time talking about the Grand Zephyr. To begin with, LotE was not sure how to discuss the fact of her marriage with her parents. William C. had old-fashioned sensibilities and envisioned an engagement period, and a sumptuous wedding. LotE felt that her parents might be less than thrilled with the idea of paying for such an extravagance and was not sure how they would take her choice of spouse. More than anything else, however, she would be leaving the family business for she meant to move north with William and help him with his work. Her father had happily left his import business ten years previously to take on the business of being polite and helpful to anyone he met, but LotE knew, though Darren would not admit it, that he also liked the money that the Lucas Import/Export store brought in. LotE had run the store all through her Uni years, working long hours on both, having shouldered the burdens of the store at the age of seventeen. With William Collins came new opportunities for her and a life she never would have been able to imagine. The plain daughter, friends of known beauties, she had felt she would never have a chance for romance; the dutiful daughter, she had felt she would be forever stuck running the store, and in one stroke she felt doubly fulfilled: a husband and a stoked sense of faith. It was LotE's intention to quit and run away with William as quickly as she could, and without giving anyone the chance to persuade her otherwise. The least agreeable part of the whole business would be in telling LizE whose surprise would be great, and whose friendship she valued beyond that of any other person. LizE had stood by her and listened to the complaints about her shouldering the tasks of the store for as many years as she had born them.

LotE's immediate concern was to convince William to run away and be married before any of her family was the wiser. He was shocked, initially, by her suggestion and there was a lot of back and forth between them. William argued for smaller and smaller versions of some family wedding, but LotE maintained her ground saying that there was no money to pay for such a thing unless William wanted to pay for the entire cost. While he had a decent allowance from Catherine de Bour, he did not think it would stretch to the sorts of receptions he had envisioned or the white gown he had imagined his bride to wear. And when LotE, ever handy with figures, calculated estimates for the scenarios he had envisioned he dropped his arguments and agreed to her suggestion of a civil wedding, and an immediate one.

"Perhaps we may have a reception on our first anniversary," he smiled, kissing her. She was not sure that the money might be saved even then, but nodded her head.

She closed up her office, told the store clerk, Fawn that she would be gone the rest of the day, and they headed out of town. The nearest civil office that LotE knew of was up in Colma where they frequently went as children to have their F.I.D. bands re-sized. There was some blushing on both of their parts in filling out paperwork, but it was two determined people who were wed before a federal judge in the late afternoon. They decided their wedding budget did, at least, extend to one night in a hotel for a honeymoon, and LotE was able to find one that was safe and quiet enough to fit William's requirements. Neither of them commed a person about their whereabouts or what they had decided to do.

* * *

The Ben family had not really taken in the fact the William C. had not returned home that evening. They all sat down to eat together, hardly noticing that his usual seat was empty. LizE and Juno were the most intrigued by their missing cousin, but assumed they would hear from him soon, if not see him shortly.

"Sometimes, government is not good. Our first President-for-Life, Fleming, did not do a very good job, but the people voted him in and then were stuck with him. And they had voted for a life-long president and not an election every four years," argued KitE. LizE came to and listened to her family arguing. They had been on such good behavior with William's long visit, that it felt good to return to their regular dinner-time arguments.

"Yes, one of the first things he did was to sell off and privatize, large portions of national forests, and, some say, pocket the money," said Mara.

"Well he died in office not that long after his election, what six years into his presidency? Could he have had much of a chance to spend it?" soothed Juno.

"But it was disastrous for our national parks and forests as the people who bought them and own them now do not want to give them back. They can do whatever they wish with the land, all those beautiful outdoor spaces, gone," continued Mara. "When you have a bad leader, things can go wrong so quickly."

"Well, if he was poisoned and didn't have a heart attack as some say, then he got what he deserved," said Fancy finishing up her dessert.

"Wait, they didn't tell me about that in class," exclaimed KitE.

"Probably not covered in high-school level history classes, the nefarious goings-on of the government, how presidents 'pass over,' " said Mara as she stacked a few plates.

"Yes, wasn't there one, Harding, who was thought to be poisoned by his wife?" said Mark, "Oh and then there was that Victorian one who was a closet gay, can't remember his name…"

"They really don't tell me these things in class," said KitE with a huge grin on her face. She pulled her comm screen out at the table, and for once Fancy didn't scold her. She stood up and began clearing up plates while the twins continued to point out the most infamous, and not often discussed aspects of presidential history.

LizE looked over at Juno and raised an eyebrow. William C.'s place was next to Juno and she glanced at it. Juno shrugged her shoulders. They conferred and were concerned enough for his welfare, even if he wasn't well-liked to comm Col. Forster about his not having returned from his usual daily ramblings. The colonel said she would do what she could. Putting traces on F.I.D. bands was not an automatic process and still required court approval no matter what the conspiracy theorists said, and he had to be missing more than twenty-four hours to even set that ball in motion. But she would do a sweep through town and ask if anyone had seen him, especially Ms. Turnbull.

* * *

A/N: on vacation for a week so no posts, but I will be writing and editing. Back later in June.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

William and LotE had to decide on a course of action as to whom to tell and in what order to tell them. LotE was not sure of her parent's reaction but was fairly sure she could predict LizE's reaction, so she wanted to actually speak to her friend and cross that bridge first. The newlyweds made their way back towards Meryton and timed their arrival to coincide with lunch. William C. drove LotE to the Netherfield Institute where he dropped off his bride to speak to her friend while he waited in the parking lot. He had far fewer with whom to communicate and would comm Catherine de Bour and those of his little church he felt ought to be informed while LotE broke the news to her friend.

LotE asked at the front desk to see LizE and the attendant spent some time hunting LizE down (she had been outside on the patio eating and was ignoring all comms), but LizE eventually showed up in the front reception hall; she was surprised to see her friend and stepped up to her with some distress, wondering if LotE brought some disturbing news about her cousin. LotE asked to speak to her privately which worried LizE even more and they walked together in silence, tracing LizE's earlier steps to the front hall, back to the patio, away from the building.

LotE did not know exactly how to begin though she had practiced her speech in the car for the past few hours. She finally began with "William came to visit me at work, in my office yesterday" and gave her a dry, Mara-like account of the day's events.

The possibility of William C. being in love with her friend had occurred to LizE over the past few days, and she had seen something between them that made her wonder about LotE's interest as well, but that LotE might actually encourage him to the extent that he proposed was so astonishing that she could not help from crying out, "married to William Hampton Collins, really LotE, impossible!"

LotE had maintained quite a stony face the whole time she had told her story knowing that LizE would be surprised by her actions but on hearing her initial reaction, even though it had been expected, it had stung, "why should you be so surprised that he might love another LizE? If you would not have him, does that mean he is not worthy of any other woman, or she of him?"

LizE seemed to awaken to where she was and what she had heard, and of all that LotE had experienced in the past ten years; and to try to be comfortable with the fact that it was not her choice, but her friend's choice. She found some words, not the most eloquent ones she'd ever used, but words to assure her friend of her support in her decision and to wish her some sense of happiness.

"I can sense what you are feeling," replied LotE, "you have to be so surprised, especially since William asked you to marry him so very recently. But if you have more time to think about it, you will know it suits me in so many ways. LizE, you of all people know how hard it was to work in the shop and complete my studies at Uni. I wasn't able to study what I wanted so I settled for late 20th century poetry. Wherever am I to go in life with such a degree? You also know how unhappy and trapped I have been in the store these past six years, yet I have found no outlet. And here, I have found an interesting man and I have found a faith that will carry me away on strong wings. William has much to offer me, a home, happiness, possibly children, how could I pass that up?"

LizE could not empathize entirely with LotE's attraction to William C. or to his faith. They turned around and began to head back to the building. She could sympathize with the categorical unfairness of holding down a job you hate and of having so many people rely on you; that much she understood, but the image of being married to him was one she could not envision. His love for LotE had to be imaginary, based solely on some conceptualized ideal of a woman, of a wife, of what matrimony should look like (just as his love for LizE had been imaginary). LizE felt that LotE had taken an extreme path to rid herself of her troubles, and wondered if there might be further troubles in the years ahead for the now married Collinses. They parted in the reception area of the Institute, with LizE giving her friend an awkward hug before returning to work.

Mr. and Mrs. Lucas had to be tackled next, and with more trepidation LotE and her new husband drove to her family home. Her parents were over-joyed to see them, having been anxious when she had not returned after work the previous day. Phil had not seemed to notice LotE's absence from the office at all. No one at Lucas Lodge had considered reporting her absence to the militia, so only William Collins had been known to be missing to the authorities.

Her parents were together in their living room and she made her announcement. This story was much shorted, she began with saying she and William had married at the civil office the day before, honey-mooned at a hotel, and that she was to follow him up north when he left on Saturday. Darren and Daria reacted in opposite ways. He with anger; she with joy.

Daria was ready to be happy for her oldest daughter, ready to be happy about their marriage, ready to be happy about whatever she chose to do in life. Darren could only consider that he had been disappointed by one child, John, not two days before, and now was being disappointed by another. "What about the business?" was his first reaction, and one which LotE had predicted he would have, though he might not have admitted it until faced with losing her. LotE said he could close it down now, he had been considering doing exactly that ten years before, so it wouldn't matter, but he was too angry to be reasonable and demanded that she stay and continue to work there; that they both knew that Phil was ill prepared to step into her shoes and Maria not free for two years yet. LotE, not normally prone to anger, yelled that he could step in and help himself and not rely on his children to do all the work. She fled the room at that point, with William in tow.

LotE packed her personal belongs, William getting in the way and not helping overly much. Daria, of all her family, poked her head around the door, and then came in to help, some old pieces of luggage at hand. She apologized for LotE's father, saying that he would come around. Her mother asked questions about William's house and where it was located and what did a Receptor do with his time? When the packing was done, Daria called a reluctant ArnE to come help William carry the bags downstairs. ArnE, in high school, was not sure which parent's opinion he favored about the whole business and was a reluctant suitcase bearer. Leo, alone, of all of the siblings seemed to be supportive of his sister and happily came outside to see her off when all the others remained hidden indoors, apparently siding with their father. Ten year olds are unaffected by such feelings as disloyalty when it comes to providing for the family, and only admire their big sisters for going off on a big adventure, which is exactly what he thought she was doing: dropping everything to pursue some sort of imagined treasure, which was cool in his eyes.

The newlyweds fled to the Ben house, arriving there in the evening. LizE and Juno had just reached home. While LizE had been able to share LotE's news with Juno on the ride home (she had been too distracted at work by the news to be able to seek out and share the news with Juno) but she had not yet shared the news with the rest of the family.

The couple appeared. With many compliments, William C. announced the whole matter to an audience not merely wondering, but incredulous. Fancy said something under her breath about their being mistaken; and Luna, always unguarded and often outspoken exclaimed—

"Heavens, you have got to be kidding us! Didn't you just ask LizE to marry you?"

LotE blushed and William C. stammered over what he was going to say next, but LizE, after first turning with horror at her youngest sister, and wondering how she had found out, feeling how awkward the situation already was, how unpleasant all around, stood up and said some words of congratulations to them, mentioning that LotE had enlightened her already about the matter earlier in the day. Juno joined her in congratulating the couple and made a small remark about their happiness and future while Fancy and the rest of the family (Tom was still in his study) tempered their surprise and came to terms with the news.

KitE ran off to share the news with her father while the Ben family was subjected to a comprehensive story about the previous day's events. LizE tuned out most of it, but was shocked when she heard about the poor reception LotE had received from her own family. Her feelings about her friend were like a roller coaster going up and down with sympathy for her situation and disgust at her choice.

Fancy claimed a fit of nerves after all of the stories had been finished. It had been too much to be saddled with such a relative, such a kerfuffle with his proposal to LizE and now his marriage to Charlotte Lucas had unfolded (William had encouraged his bride to use her given name and not her nickname). They asked (at least they have asked, argued Juno a half hour later in attempting to sooth her mother) to be able to stay at the Ben's house for William's C.'s remaining two days. Why they simply did not drive the fifty miles home to his house was on everyone's mind, but no one Ben asked. They seemed to have all accepted that they were somehow saddled with him. LizE at least suggested that the newlyweds be moved across the house to the rumpus room which was away from everyone else's bedrooms. The fold-out couch was atrocious, but they fitted it with clean sheets and blankets and figured it was the best solution for the two days they were to be a family of ten.

Between Charlotte and LizE there was a restraint, even though LizE was attempting to understand her friend's positon and choices. LizE felt that there could never be that closeness that they once had. It is difficult in life when a friend makes choices which vary so actively with what you yourself would do (and especially highlighted by the fact that she, herself had refused that marriage proposal just a few days before).

LizE also had Juno occupying most of her waking hours. She knew that Juno's honesty and decency in the way she viewed the world would mean her opinion could never be shaken but she worried that just such an outlook might bring Juno grief. Chaz had been gone a week and nothing more had been heard of his returning. He sent Juno no comms, returned none of those she sent and seemed to have teleported to an entire continent as far as they could tell. Juno had commed both Caro and Lois back, but there was no reply from either of them.

The Bens were able to muddle through the evening and survive all of Friday and the part of Saturday that William Collins felt necessary to be spent in making speeches about all the care and attention he had received as a guest, and especially the attention his beautiful wife, Charlotte had received.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24 (Volume 2, Chapter 1)

Official notice about the whereabouts of Bingley and company's plans came almost two weeks later in a comm from Lois who crisply apologized saying they had all just up and decided to move on when Chaz had finished his T&amp;Cs and had had his party to celebrate the whole thing.

"Such is the way of my brother. He finishes what is in front of him then desires a new toy. Did I mention that GEO was able to _fly_ home for Thanksgiving? Actually _fly_, I can't imagine! It seems only presidents or diplomats or VIPs fly these days. I can't imagine how the Darcys are able to pull the strings to do it. We've had a lovely time taking in the sights (or is that sites or maybe it's both?). Too bad, dear Juno, you are so tied to your job. That's why I am perpetually unemployed. Even poor Caro's been busy once the Thanksgiving holidays were over. Darcy has some big art deals to handle, apparently; he is always so busy, _such_ an important man. The family _so_ influential. For all the fun that GEO and I have been having I am to lose her for a few weeks while she concentrates on finishing up this semester's studies while staying here. We shall all have fun at Christmas, however, L.A.! Oh my, all the parties, especially the New Year's Eve ones! But it is _so_ obvious she has the Darcy talent and isn't just a shadow of her brother but is and will be entirely capable of taking over from Will should he ever step down. Beauty _and_ Brains. It is no wonder that Chaz admires her; I can see the two of them merging in more ways than one. He's still trying to find new ways to invest his money; otherwise it just sits around and festers, you know."

Juno finished reading the comm to her sister. LizE pursed her lips together, her back teeth pressing harder on the top molars as she tried to hold her tongue. Her heart was divided between concern for Juno and strong resentment against all the others and considering how much to say and how much not to. She did not believe Lois' statement about Chaz' interest in "merging" with GEO. She knew he was in love with Juno, that much had been obvious, yet that easy-going personality (and if she was honest, his whimsical nature) meant he was the type of person swayed by circumstances which now made him the subject to the whims of his designing friends. It was looking as if he had sacrificed his happiness to their inclinations and manipulations. What made LizE's blood boil about the whole thing was that it also involved Juno. Chaz might make decisions about his life all he wanted and she would be happy enough to let him, but by sporting with Juno's heart he had crossed with LizE and she was _angry_. Whether his feelings had really changed or had been diverted or turned away from Juno somehow by his friend's interference or had changed due to some other factor (had LotE been correct and Juno been too guarded with showing her feelings?) LizE did not know, but she could not but think differently about Charles A. Bingley. Juno's peace and happiness had been too wounded.

Juno kept busy, working long hours for many days before she spoke again about the flight of Chaz and his friends. Fancy had lamented at dinner one evening about his long absence and had grilled Juno for details as to when she had heard from him last and when did Juno think to see him? Fancy even suggested she finagle some time off work to go to LA for a visit.

"I wish Fancy understood the situation better and had more control over herself. She seems to have no idea of the daily paper cuts she gives me by asking about him every evening. And to suggest I go to LA to try to see him? How do I even know where he is if he does not answer my comms? I know he is not living with Lois and Kai—Lois said as much; he might be staying with Darcy. Hopefully, soon, she will forget him, and then I will be able to forget him and we'll all be just as we were before he came."

LizE looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"I see it in your eyes, LizE, you don't believe me," and Juno blushed, "but you have no reason to not believe what I say. He may be the first man I have ever loved, but that is all. I can get beyond this. I have given up hoping or fearing and do not wish to think ill of him. I simply need a little more time and it won't hurt so badly when Fancy mentions him or I think about our time together." She covered her mouth with her hand and looked away, swallowing and blinking back what might have been tears.

She turned back to LizE and said with a stronger voice, "it was not more than a mistake, I read too much into our little get-togethers, our…dates… It hasn't harmed anyone but me."

"Oh sweetie," cried LizE and threw her arms around her sister with tears of her own falling now, "I don't know what to say. I feel like I have never been able to love you as you need to be loved. I can't find words to say how much I love you, or how much I don't deserve you as a sister."

Juno claimed not to be so unique and denied that she deserved any extra merit.

"Absolutely not, this is not fair," said LizE sitting back and mockingly wagging a finger at her, "You want to think everyone decent and are hurt if I speak ill of anyone. I only want to think you perfect and you won't let me. Don't be afraid of my getting carried away, of my elbowing in on your outlook of universal good-will. You needn't worry it isn't for me most of the time. There are few people whom I really love and still fewer of whom I think well. The more I see of the world, the more I am dissatisfied with it; and every day I step out into it and see it and experience it has confirmed my belief of the paradox of all human characters and of what little dependence can be placed on the appearance of talent or sense. I have seen two examples lately; one I will not mentions the other is LotE's marriage. It is inexplicable in any way you look at it, it is extraordinary!"

"LizE, don't. Don't feel so angry, so muddled, so dissatisfied, as you say. You will never be happy in life if you always feel so, especially about the big picture of the workings of the world," soothed Juno. "You can't know how another person thinks or feels, you need to make allowances. Who are we to challenge someone who has found faith? We can't know until we have stepped into her shoes and lived her life. What sort of situation did LotE really experience both before and after meeting our cousin? She has, we do know, carried a lot of responsibility for the entire Lucas family; she changed her Uni major to lighten her load. She's made a lot of sacrifices. Can we judge her for taking this opportunity to better herself? I must believe she does feel something like regard or esteem for our cousin, even if it is not romantic love as we would judge it."

"To gratify you I will try to see your point of view but if I did—if I should consider that LotE, or Charlotte as she is asking us to call her—really did have some 'regard' as you put it for him, I have to think worse of her than I did before. He is a conceited, pompous, narrow-minded silly man. You know he is, you must feel as I do that any woman that married him cannot have been right in the head. You cannot argue that someone like Charlotte with standards and a sense of integrity would take such a drastic step as marrying such a man on such short notice and claim it wisdom, claim the security of marriage will bring her happiness. I fear she is chasing after rainbows."

"I think your words are too strong in describing both," said Juno, "and I hope you can be convinced of it by seeing them happy together. But you referred to something else. You mentioned _two_ instances of dissatisfaction. I believe I understand you to mean Chaz, but don't let me feel any worse about the whole thing by thinking _him_ to blame, don't tell me your opinion of him has sunk. Don't be so quick to be so biased against him, please. A charming young man does not always have to be guarded and discreet with new friends. It is very often our own vanity that has deceived us. Women sometimes read more into flirting."

"Men's vanity would have us think so."

"If they set out, by planned design, to deceive and seduce us, such actions aren't justified at all, but I can't think that most people, men or women, set out with a such a plan when meeting a person for the first time. You can't go through life thinking people are so deceitful."

"I am not considering Lois' actions to a planned design, but without intending to do wrong or planning to make others unhappy there _have_ been errors made, people, _you_, have been made miserable. Even something slight like not paying attention to how other people felt, noticing other's weaknesses have added to this situation."

"And do you consider it to be any of these?"

"Yes to neglect at least. But if I keep talking I will upset you by speaking ill of people. Stop me now."

"You still think his sister has influenced him?"

"Yes, in conjunction with his friend."

"I can't believe it. Why would they? They can only want him to be happy, surely. If he loves me, no one else could make him happy."

"No, they can wish for a lot more besides his happiness. They might wish for a connection between the families by his marrying GEO. Where that leaves Caro is a different matter."

"Lois does seem to have a strong preference for her," said Juno, "but perhaps because they have known her longer and have stronger feelings for her. But it still seems odd that they would object to Chaz' wishes. How could a sister do that? How could a friend?"

LizE could not but help think of LotE and the mixed reaction she had received from her own family. Juno continued. "If they believe Chaz in love with me they would not try to part us. If he _was_, they would not be successful. By supposing that he was in love with me and it wasn't just some intense, temporary flirtation you are making al l the players act unnaturally wrong and making me most unhappy. Please, don't distress me so much. I simply have to work on my own feelings. I am not ashamed of having loved him or of having been wrong about it, or how I felt, at least, I …" she faltered then continued, "I should feel very bad if I had to think ill of him at all or of Lois or Caro or even Darcy. Let me think of it in the best way I possible."

Between them, the name of Chaz Bingley scarcely ever came up again.

* * *

Fancy had a harder time fathoming his disappearance and would ask most nights at dinner for an update. She was perplexed that he had simply disappeared and discounted LizE's explanations (which LizE herself did not believe) that it had all been a mere flirtation and that he had moved on, both in business and with other women. Fancy would not buy it and ended most meals with "but he loved Juno!"

Tom was more comical about the affair, joking with his second child one weekend day outdoors where he had been chased by Fancy who endeavored to get him to exercise.

"So LizE, Juno is pining away for the love of this Chaz Bingley fellow. I understand from the chitterings of those two youngest sisters of yours and your mother who have run out of news topics. Even Aunt Lily's puppies can't seem to hold a candle to unrequited love." They were making a circuit of all the out buildings. "I suppose a young woman likes to be crossed in love now and again. It gives you something extra to think of, gives us some interesting dinner conversation for sure. But don't let yourself be outdone by Juno. It should be your turn next. There are some handsome young men in Meryton, so I understand by our young tweeters, let Wickham be the man for you. He is so very pleasant, he can love you then jilt you credibly."

She laughed "Thank you pops, but a less agreeable man would do for me. The rest of us cannot be expected to be jilted by one so very worthy and so handsome."

"True," said Tom, puffing a little, "but consider that whoever the man may be, Fancy will be sure to make a long drawn-out scene out of it. She is such a loving mother."

LizE saw Wickham often. His companionship was welcome by all members of the Ben clan and helped to relieve some of the gloom that had pervaded their house given the Collins' marriage and Bingley's disappearance. He became a frequent diner there and in other neighbor's houses in Meryton. His story also made the rounds to the neighborhood houses. The whole story that had been unfolded to LizE, his claims about Will Darcy and all that Wickham had suffered was now openly discussed and everybody in town was pleased to think how much they had always disliked Will Darcy before they knew anything of the matter of his disinheriting George Wickham.

Juno was the single creature who still maintained that there might be any extenuating circumstances in the cause unknown to the Meryton neighborhood; her mild and steady candor always pleaded for allowances and urged that mistakes were possible. By everybody else was Darcy condemned as the worse of men.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

A comm arrived from their cousin requesting another visit. It was a topic about which Tom Ben could not find a way to joke his usual laconic style was missing when he announced the topic at the dinner table.

"Why in the world is he not staying at Lucas Lodge?" cried Fancy echoing all of their thoughts. "Such a visitor would be inconvenient and troublesome, especially with Ezra and Meg returning."

Tom attempted to explain though he appeared to have no opinion as to what they should do about it. "Everyone knows about the falling out between Charlotte Lucas and her father over her marriage and leaving the family business. Apparently there have been some attempts at reconciliation between her and Darren. I also hear rumors that three weeks of Phil in charge have been a disaster and that everyone realized how much LotE, er Charlotte, did for the store. So Charlotte is coming back for a few weeks to train Phil as a sign of good will on her part. The couple, however, doesn't wish to be housed under the same roof as Darren."

"Sounds like a good poker move to me," said Mark.

"It will be so crowded," snarked Luna.

"Why aren't Aunt Meg and Uncle Ezra staying at their own house," asked the ever-practical Mara.

"They leased it for six months. The tenants have it until the end of December," answered Fancy.

"We can air out the summer house," suggested LizE, "let them stay there."

"There's no insulation in the summer house," exclaimed Juno, "we can't ask them to stay there in the middle of December!"

"Hey! All the more reason to put unwanted guests there!" said Luna. "Let William and LotE stay there." She crossed her arms to make her point.

"Why couldn't we double up for a week?" argued Juno, "be civil?"

"It sounds like no one is suggesting we turn them away," said Tom. His family looked at him. They might joke about it, but no one spoke up to actually say so.

Their guests overlapped eight days and they all thought they could cope though Fancy fanned herself and predicted it would take quite a toll on her nerves.

* * *

Three days later, William C. and Charlotte arrived and they settled into their old spot in the rumpus room. It had formerly been where the Gardiner children had been bunked. Partly because it was large enough to fit four, but mostly because it was far away from Fancy's bedroom and their noise would not aggravate her nerves.

The disturbance on the Ben family turned out to be minimal. William Collins and Charlotte arrived on a Monday in his little funny car amidst a barrage of apologies on his side. They soon ran off again after unpacking and spent the chief of the day with Charlotte's family, not even partaking of meals. And so it went most of the week. LizE had very little chance to see her friend who was working hard to train her brother and set to rights The Lucas Import/Export for her to be gone from it for good.

There had been one fight when LotE had found her father insisted John return and not pursue his interest with the Gouldings and the power station. LotE had put her foot down, staying home (at the Ben's house) for a day and a half. LizE had been at work at the Institute most of the time and had missed most of the drama. But Charlotte had insisted that Darren agree to let any of his children, not just John, do what they wished—even if it meant less help in the store and that he might actually need to hire (and pay) for someone to come in to help.

On another Monday in December, Fancy welcomed her brother Ezra, his wife Meg and their four children home from their six month trip in South America. Now there was doubling-up to do and the five sisters initially all looked with envy at Mark as it was supposed he would not have to share, but Fancy said he must share with cousin Craig, who at age twelve was getting too old to share a room with his sisters. Four of the Ben sisters all doubled up to free up two bedrooms for the three young Gardiner girls leaving Juno as the only person in the house keeping her own room and not sharing with a soul. The fact that Tom would hide in his study meant he would be keeping a room of his own, in a way. Of course, one of the Gardiner girls would get her own room, but it wasn't possible to divide three into two evenly.

Ezra Gardiner was a talented, easy-going man who had the personality of one who should have been in sales, or possibly in a pulpit. He had the type of inviting personality that many would have imagined for a man of business. In LizE's mind, Uncle Ezra looked and acted far more like a CEO than William Darcy did. Aunt Meg was a peppy, intelligent woman who managed her position as Senior Scientist and a mobile household of four children, and husband with ease. She had always been a favorite aunt and between the two eldest and herself there was a particular bond.

There were so many tales to share back and forth, adventures in botany, adventures in home-schooling four children in a foreign country, tales of life in Meryton which too had its share of excitement that there was much to talk about. Fancy dominated her sister-in-law's time during the day (for Meg was taking some time off to help get the children settled). She related news about their _other_ guests, the militia and especially about Chaz Bingley.

"My nerves can't handle all these disruptions, extra guests, and disappointments. I have not been able to figure this Bingley fellow out at all. Why did he leave? He loved Juno that was so obvious. She's been a miserable wreck ever since. Oh well, it is so good to have you and I am so glad to hear what news you have of seeds!" declared Fancy all in a breath.

Meg Gardiner knew most of the details about Juno and Chaz' relationship from her two eldest nieces and their comms to her; she changed the subject to something less nerve-racking for Fancy. Later, when she was able to find LizE along (which only happened because she followed her to the barn) she brought up the subject of Chaz.

"Juno seems to have fallen quite hard for Chaz. By everyone's account of him he is a good man. I am sorry her heart was broken. It is especially hard with the first one. But this Chaz, are you sure it wasn't more than just a mild flirtation? Just something to do to occupy his time in between reading dry business documents while on a trip away from home? I hate to be so blunt, but often that happens and then when his time is up he goes away and forgets about the pretty face he left behind. Men can be so inconsistent." Meg frowned.

"Hrmph," fumed LizE "what a consolation, to dismiss such behavior, if that _was_ his motivation because other men have done the same thing before! But that will not do for us, for me, for Juno! I am convinced that Chaz was persuaded to leave by his family and friends. If you had seen them together you would have seen how violently in love he was!"

"But that expression of 'violently in love' is so over-used LizE, and I can't actually picture Juno in love she's such a workaholic. Tell me, how violent was his love?"

"He had eyes only for her. At his party, he forgot to welcome half the guests because he was holed up with Juno talking. Isn't that a sure sign of love when you lose sight of the rest of the world and can only focus on the object of it? I think the party would never have happened if Darcy and Lois and Caro hadn't ironed out all the details. Juno and Chaz had to have talked to each other for hours every evening beforehand. I can't see how he could have been dealing with caterers or the wine merchant or any of the last minute details if he was occupied with Juno all the time."

"Well, it does sound as if he loved her. Poor Juno, with her sweet nature she may not get over him quickly. It should have happened to _you_, LizE, you would have just laughed yourself out of it. Hmm. Shall I get Dr. Nishino to approve some field work for her? A change of scene might be just what she needs, and a little relief from the chaos of home."

LizE said that would be an excellent idea and Juno would welcome it.

"We have some urban landscapes to tackle, first Los Angles, then San Francisco. I hope she won't mind if we move around LA. We are likely to be all over the place, so the chances of running into her former beau are slim."

"I doubt she would; for he is in the custody of his friend, Will Darcy, CEO, who has let me know how lowly he considers us scientists, far below the ranks of the business class. Darcy is probably still under-going some cleansing ritual now, as it is, for having spent so much time in our company when he was in Meryton. And I can bet you that Chaz would never do anything without Will Darcy's permission."

"I hope they won't meet at all. If Juno is to get over him she needs time apart. But isn't she in touch with a sister?"

"Lois will stop comming."

LizE wasn't as convinced herself by what she told Aunt Meg. It was possible that Lois, whimsical like her brother would pick up Juno's friendship again if she was close enough, and convenient enough to her.

Dr. Nishino gave Juno permission for field work. Her help with the break-in and the fact that some equipment had yet to be replaced made him happy to send her off. And for any of those who doubted Charles A. Bingley's interest in the Netherfield Institute their voices were quieted when a huge endowment check arrived the third week in December with established quarterly payments for the following year. New equipment was ordered and the N.I. board was able to set down some new goals for the coming year beyond those originally stated.

Juno looked forward to the change in her assignment. She saw it as an opportunity to take on new responsibilities for her job and to re-focus herself on her former career goals on obtaining tenure before her thirtieth birthday. She also thought of the possibilities of seeing Lois, and maybe Caro when in Los Angeles.

* * *

The week with the Gardiner family was loud and joyful and while Tom did hide, the rest of the Ben family made merry with their relatives. LizE and Juno even took a few days off at the end of the week to begin the holiday season. Fancy planned lots of activities, large and small, with Aunt Lily and various neighbors making up even more guests, and of course, members of the militia. For while she had complained of her nerves since the moment that William Collins' comm arrived, she had also been busy with planning and then entertaining once her brother and sister-in-law arrived. And adults around meant they helped drown out the noise of the Gardiner children. Why a woman with six of her own (and the destructive twins at that) should seem to fear four younger children did not make sense to some, but with their additional connection with the Lucas family they had more than enough parties to fill their hours over the winter holidays. The Lucas and the Gardiner children alone could take up one table but somehow Fancy did not mind so long as everyone was enjoying themselves and the children sat at a different table.

And whenever anyone felt too claustrophobic with so many people in the house, Aunt Lily's house with its three darling puppies became a favorite destination. At seven weeks old they were fat, stumbling, charming playthings for children and adults. Snow begged for one, of course, as did KitE and Luna. Aunt Lily still had a soft spot for William C. made even more sympathetic when Charlotte's issues with her father were added in and maintained that one of the litter would be going to them.

On Friday evening, the Bens hosted a large dinner with the Gardiners, the Lucases and some of the militia. The party was packed into the many living areas of the Ben home and they had the good fortune of fine weather so that some, armed with jackets, might escape outside from the heat and the noise.

Aunt Meg had noticed that whenever there was a party or a dinner at the Ben house, George Wickham was always one of the militia members to be invited. She watched LizE and George with a critical eye over the course of several evenings and could not suppose them to be very much in love though their preference of each other was plain enough to make her a little uneasy; and she resolved to speak to LizE about it.

Aunt Meg could be charmed by George Wickham not in his usual way, as the neighbors found him, but because she had seen Pemberley and knew of its contours and features and its inhabitants. For many years, before marrying Ezra, she had worked at the Lambton Institute which was located on the edges of Pemberley Estate. Meg and George had been able to exclaim over shared acquaintances and talk about their love of the local landscape, but especially of Pemberley. LizE considered, in listening to them talk about Pemberley, that they both described it with some reverence which she dismissed as some sort of fan worship; like groupies who so love a celebrity that they also hold up that celebrity's estate as equally worthy of praise.

Aunt Meg, could, however, give some credence to Wickham's story by relating and backing up the character description he had painted. Meg agreed that the late Mr. Darcy was, indeed, the best of men, and that though she only heard tales of Will Darcy as a youth, that he was known as a proud, ill-natured boy.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Aunt Meg found time to speak to LizE when they were in the barn after LizE had shown Meg's youngest "Snow" how to hunt for chicken eggs. The six-year-old ran off happily to search in all the nooks and crannies of the barn and Meg turned to her niece.

"You are too sensible, LizE Frances Ben, to fall in love merely because you are warned against it, so I will put you on your guard with George. There is something about him that doesn't sit right with me. I can't say anything specific against _him_; he is certainly eye candy for this old lady. But, don't get carried away admiring the whole candy store if your tastes really run to fresh greens. You have good sense, and we expect you to use it. This sounds like odd advice when faced with how you approach your feelings. I trust that you will always be reasonable even when it comes to matters of the heart and listen to your head, especially when someone is, perhaps, not completely above board. And I fear that our friend George has some hidden depths to him."

"Aunt Meg, this sounds so serious."

"Yes, I hope to have you consider what I say as much as you might wish to be like Luna and call me out for it."

"Well then, don't be such an alarmist. I shall take good care of myself. I always have. And I will take care to prevent his falling in love with me," LizE laughed, Aunt Meg frowned.

"LizE! I really am being serious. Let me explain. Wickham reminds me of Bobby Connor. I had known him since grade school. You never knew true harm of him but if you caught Bobby stealing cookies he'd only admit to taking one and you'd smile and let him go and then discover a half dozen were missing from the cookie jar. And you're mostly convinced he took them but are never _sure._"

"So you fear he's a cookie thief?" LizE rolled her eyes, but Meg Gardiner raised her eyebrows into a stare that made LizE gulp. "I will try again. I am not in love with George. I am not. But he is the most charming man I have ever met, and if he does love me, well, I believe it better if he doesn't. I am not sure I could be involved with someone in the militia who would get moved around on different deployments let along worrying about their fate in any 'disturbances.' I can see how impractical it would be to love someone in such a position. Oh, that f-ing cad Will Darcy!" she paused to catch her breath. "I would hate to disappoint anyone, but I especially do not wish to disappointment _me_ by loving someone whose circumstances in life I also resented. You see, I can be sensible, and logical and all the ickles or ibles you want. But since I am still young, I don't see why I need to be the reasonable one when we see other youngsters fall in love for lots of silly reasons and who do not necessarily act reasonable or logical about _why_ they do so. Why, if I am tempted, am I the one expected to resist Aunt? Why should I not be the passionate one? I guess I can only say I'll try not to be in a hurry. I won't be in a hurry to be in love or to believe he loves me." She looked at Aunt Meg who nodded back.

"Did you ever run into Bobby Connor again?" asked LizE.

"No, but I looked him up. He is doing time for fraud."

"Snow" came running up to them, both hands clutching a speckled brown egg.

"Oh Winifred, what good luck you've had," declared Aunt Meg. Snow glared at her mother's use of her given name then held her prizes up to LizE to see. LizE cooed and fused over her young cousin and they went off to hunt more eggs together. LizE turned to give Aunt Meg one grateful smile, a wonderful instance of advice being given and received without being resented.

* * *

The Collinses time came to an end. Charlotte had been able to do in two weeks as much as she felt she could do. Phil had been trained, and a young man, Chris Bromley, had been reluctantly hired by Darren to replace John. Charlotte took her leave from her family but also from her friends. The evening before she left, Charlotte was able to find LizE for a few last words.

"I hope to have comms from you frequently, LizE."

"I'll do that; I can be a good commversationalist."

"And one more favor. Will you come and visit me if it is at all possible with your work schedule?" Charlotte looked directly at her.

"I hope to see you back here again," bluffed LizE avoiding answering her friend's question.

"I don't know how often our lives or our wallet will allow us to come down from Marin to visit again. Promise me, if chances allow, you'll come."

LizE could not refuse though she had no desire to do it.

The newlyweds set off again, and there was a lot of talk about their stay. A lot of speculation was put about as to whether the Lucas Import/Export store could survive without LotE at its helm. Privately almost everyone believed it could not and there was little faith in Phil's stewardship. No one knew much about the hastily hired Chris Bromley. John Lucas could have done it, but his quick wits were now firmly being ensconced at the Meryton Power Station where he had already suggested a small improvement for longer-term storage of electricity.

LizE kept her word and commed her friend often though she felt it could never be a friendship as it had been before. Whenever she sat down to type, LizE felt the pangs of loss though she would never let her replies to her friend drop off as Lois Hurst and Caro Van Hale had done with Juno. LotE seemed happy enough and LizE was struck that there was so much to read between the lines in comms. She was so used to hearing her friend speak, seeing her in person, that she was not used to this new means of communicating with her. While she had years of practice of comming her Aunt from her long distances away she had never really commed her friend without seeing her the next day to discuss ideas in person or in a short amount of time. In every way she could, LotE declared herself happy with her new lot: the house, Catherine de Bour, their congregants, the weather; she was surrounded by comforts and infinitely happy. As the weeks passed, LizE began to miss her friend and to consider that a visit would be welcome, if possible with her new position at the Netherfield Institute.

The Gardiner tenants moved out and the family had two weeks in their own home before work took them on the road again. Juno went with them. Their plans were to take them to the great urban areas in California. Aunt Meg was the Senior Scientist; while Uncle Ezra had a more minor role at the N.I. (for all his gregarious personality), he spent more time when they were in the field with their children, homeschooling, than he did on Institute business. Meg's plan, for this shorter, two-month trip, was to hunt up plants that were thriving in urban settings and determine how native to the area they were. "Native" and "area" were both, of course, relative terms, but since the Netherfield Institute was part of the Federal Seed Bank Registry (FSBR) project, _anything_ that survived in hot, cement-based urban landscapes had to be a good start. The biggest part of their plan was remaining safe and in this case they worked with local militia in areas known to be safe though they did have, per federal guidelines, a guard.

Los Angeles was to be their first stop as it was more pleasant in the winter there than in the summer where heat added to the unrest and upped the chances of riots and disturbances. Juno commed constantly of their daily adventures in seed-hunting and of being in such a different environment than Meryton.

She commed cheerfully, like LotE did, but LizE could tell there was something underlying the short notes of _what_ they were doing with not saying _how_ she was doing. LizE wondered, but dared not ask for Juno's first few weeks whether Juno still heard from Lois or Caro and whether her being near them would be enough of a spark for them to renew the friendship.

Juno finally described of hearing from her two friends and of plans for a luncheon on a free weekend when their schedules permitted. Juno described the difficulties of getting any time together with her friends "but GEO is still in town until the end of January. They have many plans around this most beloved friend, trying to fit in time before she returns overseas. I wish I could see her or that we all luncheon together; I've heard so much about her. I had asked about Will and Chaz, of course. Apparently they are both busy Caro said. Will has work and some art deals that keep him busy enough. Lois said Chaz had feelers out about new investments and was doing research but always had time to eat with them, especially if GEO joined them." LizE could tell that last sentence cost Juno a lot to type and shook her head over the whole situation. Chaz was not to know Juno was in town at least according to Lois, and probably not according to Caro.

The planned luncheon finally happened in February. The whole scenario and how it played out meant that Juno could no deceive herself about Lois and Caro's interest in her friendship any longer. "Well, LizE, you shall triumph at being such a great judge of character, and at my expense, when I say I have been tricked by them both. Though you have been shown to be right about all this don't think me obstinate if I still assert as true that my having faith and confidence about them was as natural as you having suspicion. We spent a while—quite a while—in comming each other as to the details about our luncheon and its location. Lois picked a swanky restaurant that I knew to be quite quite pricey but figured I could afford to splurge once. When I arrived, a few minutes early to be sure, neither was there. I waited, and waited and commed them after fifteen minutes and then again after thirty to ask if they were on their way but got no answer. I finally checked with the maître'd and he said he _only_ seated people with reservations otherwise I would have eaten there no matter if it was $1000 a plate. I was so embarrassed to be sitting there all dressed up and no one showing up to meet me. The maitre'd wouldn't say if I got the day wrong which I then worried about of course. I waited a full hour turning more and more red with embarrassment and not getting any answers to my comms. I went back home, though I drove a long way around so I could clear my heard and not have to answer too many questions from Aunt Meg right away. Later that evening Caro commed to say_ she _had recorded the date wrong and was sorry and that was it. No further apologies, no asking me to re-schedule. Lois only commed 'silly me' and left it at that. It's been 24 hours since and no further word from either of them, no formal apology for the mix-up and no wish of seeing me again. I checked back over the comms that we sent to schedule the luncheon and I can't deny they were both specific as to the date and time and the place. I have resolved to drop their friendship. Lois was the one who reached out to me; she brought that hamper by that first day at Netherfield, remember? Now she must feel she has done something wrong and is feeling anxious about Chaz. _You know_ she does not need to worry about anything else happening between Chaz and I, yet I can see that she must worry and that must account for her behavior to me. She must not worry though; she must have spoken to him overly much these past few weeks for if he still loved me, he would have reached out to me and we would have met. Chaz knows I am in LA. Caro said so in a comm to me just two days ago. He has been with Darcy a lot. Caro said she's had a lot more free time because the two men have been busy with GEO's visit. If I was not afraid of judging too harshly I would say there had been dirty pool in this; but I try to banish anything that is painful and only think of things that make me happy. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful family. Comm me back soon."

LizE sat back as she considered that Juno would no longer be deceived by her false friends though it was of little consequence for the pain that came through in between the lines of her comm. All the expectations from Chaz were over. LizE couldn't even wish for him to change his mind and come back to Juno. She could not think well of him again, he sank in her estimation. Perhaps he would hook up with GEO, though that wasn't a possibility she really wanted to consider. She simply wanted to be done with the whole lot of them. That the friends had deliberately set up Juno was obviously to Juno and Juno had been saved from an expensive lunch simply because of her lack of reservations. Dirty pool indeed!

* * *

Aunt Meg commed LizE about this same time and reminded her about LizE's promise concerning George Wickham for information. What LizE commed back probably made Meg feel more contented than LizE. Wickham's attentions to her had stopped; he had turned his eyes and smiles on two newcomers to the Meryton area. LizE had been so busy at work after the New Year, so worried about Juno, helping out at home and wondering still about her friend Charlotte that they had fewer opportunities to be together. Yet, she had been watchful enough to see it unfold in front of her and say it had not really affected her. Her heart hadn't really been affected, though her vanity had been stroked by his attentions when she had them.

The two women who occupied his time and attention were a mother and daughter, recently moved to the area and both employed at the Institute. The fact that Ms. King the older could afford the rent on one of the vacant mega-houses in the area spoke that there was money in the family. The mother was still beautiful, poised and put together in a way that was sure to ruffle feathers of her contemporary-age neighbors. Ms. King the younger was pretty but there was something of a startled colt about her. No one was quite sure if Wickham preferred the mother or the daughter but everyone agreed that they loved to talk about it.

All this was acknowledged to her aunt and LizE continued with "I am now convinced, with the benefit of hindsight that I have never been much in love with him, for had I felt any true passion I think I should detest his very name and wish all manner of evil. But I still think well of him. I can continue to be friendly and I am even impartial towards the Ms. Kings. I don't find I have much of an opinion about either of them, our work does not overlap nor do we appear to have the same tastes and neither seem destined to play on the company basketball team. I suppose everyone would rather I pine away for love of him that they would have even more to talk about but I can't do that and become yet another object of town gossip. KitE and Luna seem more concerned that he has moved on than I do; even more than Chaz leaving Juno. I suppose because of his handsome face (he is better looking than Chaz) they imagine themselves in my shoes more easily than in Juno's. Such are the way the young think of love: it's all about appearances.

A/N: I am excited. I just finished writing chapter 33, which means the biggie is next: the proposal. FYI: I always work with 8-10 chapters in the queue, so they can be re-written and edited as best I can do before posting.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Her days were full at work; chilly, often rainy and windy as winter days could be in California followed by days of cold sunshine. Late in February her supervisor called her in to ask if she would be interested in field work. LizE was surprised since her little niche at the Netherfield Institute was not one which generally sponsored or supported field work. Dr. Badre explained that he understood LizE to have a particular connection to the field area in Marin County.

"We understand that you have family connections to people living in the area. The Rosings estate has been one that we've been desirous of getting a foothold on for almost as long as this Institute has been in existence. The fact that you have family so intimately connected with the estate can give us a huge advantage. The benefit of botanical field research at Rosings Park is that it has been untouched for over 100 years. I understand that the owners have done no farming (no animals or corps) none of this putting in of vineyards. The estate has been allowed to 'go to seed' for quite a while."

LizE swallowed and wasn't sure how to respond. She had continued her dutiful correspondence with LotE who had forwarded her blanket invitation for LizE to visit at the end of each comm. A week later, after more discussion with Juno and Aunt Meg, she was more open to the idea. A trip to Marin did not mean jail-time with LotE and William C. and it would be a learning experience for her career to get away. She had not traveled much, so the opportunities for new experiences would be welcome.

LizE did stop to wonder at the whole opportunity being provided to her and wondered also if the new underwriter of the Netherfield Institute and his friend might have helped to open doors for her. But it seemed unlikely that either of them would know about LotE marrying her cousin and inviting her to stay.

Darren Lucas was to drive her, as he was to visit her daughter for a few days (he was still reconciling himself to her marriage and new found faith). LizE dreaded the car ride with him but the drive was changed when Aunt Meg asked if they could bring her assistant, Marla Lyons, to her in San Francisco. This meant no awkward drive with the retired politician, at least not until after San Francisco. Meg Gardiner invited them to stay the night in SF for a play and for the family to catch up and have a little fun and distraction before proceeding to Marin.

George Wickham was part of a small group that assembled at Lucas Lodge for a farewell. She spent the chief of it with George as if they were together again. His present interests (which no one had still been able to clarify: mother or daughter?) were set aside entirely and they talked and agreed on so many subjects that she was again reminded how much she liked him, what a model he was of how a contemporary man should behave. He reminded her of his warnings as to how disagreeable she would find Catherine de Bour and thanked her again for being the first to listen to his tales of misfortune at the hands of William Darcy. They parted with a strong assurance that they would always remain good friends and with similar viewpoints on both people and situations.

* * *

The drive was over before she had time to note it and they arrived at the Tower Hotel. LizE was pleased to see Juno looked as healthy as ever and had not let worry over the situation with Chaz wear her health down. The hotel was simple and straight-forward though LizE couldn't help noticing the militia on guard and _really_ on guard, not talking to neighbors or passersby as they did in Meryton but perpetually scanning the people walking by or any crowds that gathered. Little Snow was especially excited to see her cousin and wrestled LizE from Juno's arms and barely gave LizE time to catch up with her sister during the afternoon pestering her with questions or showing her cousin collections of her own.

While there was still no symphony or ballet in San Francisco there were theaters and Aunt Meg had contrived to acquire tickets to a play she thought they might like. Craig had been strong-armed into watching his three sisters that his father might attend for once and the six adults set off on foot, followed by their militia guard. It was a longer walk than Meg had considered and the two sisters were wondering about flagging down a taxi when LizE pointed out a figure on the street across from them.

"Is that Will Darcy?" she whispered to Juno. Juno peered at the tall, dark figure and had to admit that it did look like him but that she could not be sure.

"I thought he was supposed to be in Los Angeles. Whatever is he doing in SF?" Darcy had a long satchel of some kind slung on his back and carried another case in his hand. He walked purposefully away from where their party was, down the street, a long figure, turned the corner and was gone. LizE and Juno who had stopped to watch him go then hurried to catch up with their party. The discreet militia escort had waited with them, watching them spy on Will Darcy.

San Francisco had done a lot to recover. Since it was bound on three sides by water it could not attempt recovery by building a new downtown in areas outside of the unrest and abandoned buildings. Its city managers had been forced to tear down or refurbish what existed, and where it already existed. The newly refurbished theater area was brightly lit though the theater they attended was small and the play (an overly didactic one about the foolhardy people of the 20th century with their poor energy planning) was one LizE did not care for as it was too serious. It gave her a chance to talk to her aunt, however.

They talked about Juno, in whispers. Though she did everything to maintain her health and focus, Aunt Meg did say she saw times when Juno was obviously upset. And the whole blow-up with Caro and Lois had wounded her deeply. Juno had not slept for days afterwards. They both hoped, for Juno's sake, that she continue to mend and to truly get over her disappointment.

Meg Gardiner also wanted to know more about George's desertion. "Two women at once, and mother and daughter at that! That is a little odd."

"Who is to say how the heart leads us," LizE shrugged her shoulders.

"But perhaps it is the pocketbook? You also said you thought the mother had money?"

"And we both know George has been cheated from his inheritance," defended LizE.

"But did he suddenly turn from you when they moved to the neighborhood?"

"We had not seen each other for many weeks. It is not like we were a couple, like Chaz and Juno, for all that KitE and Luna think otherwise. We had fun together, that's all."

"But two women at once?" persisted Meg.

"Neither seems to mind," LizE pursed her lips.

"That is not the point! It just seems a little too much in my book."

"Who are we to judge our fellow creatures? Why do we pick on one characteristic that we find fault with and let others go? Tomorrow I am to arrive at a house that encases a man with no sense whatsoever. Why should we not find fault with him for not having the sense to seek out through education to better himself and yet we judge George for having the sense to like a woman who is both beautiful and has money in the bank."

"Careful LizE, you sound a bit disappointed, but I am not sure by which of the two men," smiled her aunt.

* * *

A/N: sorry I am tardy. I have had a hard time with re-writing and editing this chapter for all that it is so short. No worries. I have the entire Rosings arc written so my other updates should be on time. I am also considering changing the story pix, if I do, it is because of chapter 34.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

The drive the next day was new and interesting. LizE considered that it had to have been ten years at least since she had seen the Golden Gate Bridge and that had been on a rainy field trip from a crowded van. She had never driven across it and paid Darren Lucas no mind as they traveled taking in every sight.

Once they got closer to Rosings Park, LizE was surprised. She had always considered her family home a bit post-apocalyptic with its extensive garden and greenhouses, the gravel roads that were a bear to drive on in the rain and the large barn with its many stalls (even if they only housed some errant chickens and one horse). But the Ben family could be self-sustaining. There was something about her father's character that said should there be no way to drive to the store for groceries, no work to be had to make the money to buy them, he could still produce them. No Ben would ever starve. The road to Charlotte and William C's equaled her family's. It had the same flavor of desolation, the same slippery gravel underfoot as if a warning to trespassers. Then they passed a line of trees that closed over the road meeting at the top almost forming a doorway, and suddenly they were a well-laid road with proper tarmac and an eight-foot, rather scary, fence on one side. They turned a bend and a house was in view. It was a good-sized one set across from the high fence. A small green hedge had been shaped into a sort of border to its property and a garden set in geometric shapes surrounded the house. Nothing bloomed yet though LizE could see the signs and expected that its many plantings would bloom during her stay.

Darren Lucas' wheels spun gravel as he pulled into the driveway and a loud barking mass came hurtling out of the front door which had fitted with a special dog-sized opening followed by two figures: Charlotte and William C. The puppy frisked and barked and happily presented his stomach as a prize to LizE who happily scratched it in greeting. Darren shook hands with his son-in-law then embraced his daughter but not before William C. had launched into his greeting speeches. His grip sought out LizE's as well before he took Darren's elbow and escorted him inside all the while the puppy ran circles around the foursome barking happily.

"Quiet Fergus," said Charlotte. The puppy stopped barking immediately, sat down and looked at Charlotte. She leaned down to pat him on his head. "Go see Willy," and Fergus disappeared through his door.

Charlotte turned to her friend. LizE hugged her friend with an affection she found surprising, realizing she had missed her longtime confidant more than she had known.

"Thank you for coming. It means a lot. More than my father coming to me," said Charlotte.

"I am pleased to have come," replied LizE, "it is nice to have the chance to get away, and on work business as well, so I do not have to take time off." LizE grinned and hooked her arm through Charlotte's. A window of the house was thrown open and William C. poked his head out to call them in.

Her cousin greeted her again once inside the house making a formal and obviously rehearsed speech of welcome that included a question after each member of the Ben family even if he did not stop to listen to her answers. William C. then led the four of them on a minute tour of the house. LizE felt as if he was showing them where all the treasurers were in case they might be having a scavenger hunt later.

After a short break to unload luggage and take some refreshments that Charlotte had prepared, their indomitable host led them out to the garden. It was green, weed-free and obviously well-attended. As LizE had noticed from afar so much was on the verge of flowering and a few already had tiny blooms.

The garden was laid out in a formal pattern LizE had not seen in real life, only in landscaping sources. She thought it better suited to larger, wider spaces like Versailles than the smaller space of a front parsonage garden. William C. said he spent many hours tending the garden and Charlotte added quietly that she encouraged it for both health and exercise. William added it was also benefit to the faith. A well-laid life means one has kept the faith and will fly with the Grand Zephyr in the after-life.

It had been good to stretch her legs after the ride to Marin but it was not so long of a ride that she needed an equal amount of time on her feet as she spent in the car. LizE made pleading eyes at Charlotte when William C. suggested they walk over to the church which was a ½ mile down the road. Charlotte took the hint and said she was not up for the walk. Her husband dismissed her with a wave of his hand and a comment about delicate female constitutions.

"It will give Father a chance to better understand the faith if he goes on with Willy alone," commented Charlotte as they walked into the house. She led the way to a small room at the back that looked into a less formal, less structured, back garden. There was a small ordinary cement patio that had been brightened with potted citrus plants and a few smaller annual flowers in brightly painted pots. LizE liked it much better than the front garden. Charlotte produced some delicious bottled drink from a small refrigerator and they sank gratefully into comfortable chairs and drank in silence.

* * *

Their evening meal was noisy as they all seemed to talk about different topics and often talked over one another. Darren appeared to have warmed to his son-in-law and had a lot of advice to impart from his political days that he thought fitting. William C. had a lot to say about whatever burbled up in his mind. Charlotte, so often the quieter friend, had more to say for once. All those little gaps that LizE had been wanting filled in were finally fleshed out and LizE alone was quiet as she listened to her friend talk about her new life and her new lifestyle.

"Oh we shall see her often," said William C. in a projected voice. His wife and LizE could not help but turn to listen. "Such an elegant woman, so beautiful, so knowledgeable on so many subjects." He stopped to make sure everyone was listening. "She is always inviting us over for dinners and other occasions. I am sure she will include both of you in any invitations," he nodded to Darren and LizE "whenever she invites us." He reached out a hand in a dramatic gesture to Charlotte apparently willing her to come grab it. She missed her cue looking away at some nick knack. "She is such a generous lady. She gave me my little car, you know, when she made me Receptor of his little church. We always drive over in the evenings. Her estate may be next door (her gate to her property is just across from my little humble abode) but her house is actually over a kilometer up the drive and is too far when coming back from a visit in the evening."

In the quiet of her room LizE reflected on her long day. To see her friend again had been more satisfying than she considered though she could still not understand her choice, especially marriage to such a man. She was anxious to try her wings (and smiled, considering that William C. would appreciate the metaphor) of being responsible for field research rather than processing someone else's. She was anxious to begin work and wondered how access to Rosings Pak was to be granted. She had one single comm stating she had permission for the research but no other details about how her days were to be managed or how the great and powerful Catherine de Bour wanted her wandering around on her property.

* * *

The next morning she and Charlotte lingered over breakfast, William C. having sped through his earlier in order to show his father-in-law some as yet unrevealed sight when he came rushing back in again.

"Make hast my dear, make haste," and rushed back out again. Charlotte followed her husband with quick footsteps but LizE could not fathom what the excitement was and wound her way slowly through the house towards the commotion at the front door. Darren Lucas was there too at the doorstep looking out in wonder and she peered out through a gap he left to see a young woman on a horse at the front gate. The horse was a beautiful palomino, a prized animal, and LizE admired him for many minutes before turning to the visitor. She was small, quite petite and fair where LizE was dark. She and the palomino made a good matched pair. William C. and Charlotte were standing just on the other side of the gate talking to their visitor but she looked up and caught LizE's eyes and stared. William C. stopped talking and he and his wife turned to look at the door.

Darren seemed to then notice LizE's presence. "Oh LizE girl," and stepped aside so she could pass. LizE held the woman's gaze (she assumed it was Anne Oakham, Catherine de Bour's assistant) until Anne inclined her head. LizE walked a gauntlet of eyes past Darren, William C. and Charlotte to the gate to look up and nod to Anne.

"Hello, I'm LizE Ben from the Netherfield Institute."

"Anne Oakham" and she reached down with her left hand to shake hands since she was facing the wrong way. She had a pretty face; was often out of doors, and LizE liked her on her looks and hand shake immediately. Her thoughts flew to George's tales about Darcy being romantically interested in Anne which did make her wonder. Anne Oakham was certainly a step above a Caro Van Hale in her book.

Anne had come to see LizE to give her electronic access to all areas of Rosings Park. She explained that she would comm detailed maps of the estate but needed to also charge LizE's F.I.D. band so she could access electronically controlled gates on the property; LizE held up her band and Anne placed a small device on it that soundlessly granted the access. It was not something she could do remotely, Anne explained. Anne then turned to announce to all four of them that they were invited to dinner that evening. She clicked her heels and waved herself off.

William C. turned to his guests to congratulate them so many times that LizE lost count on their good fortune.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

William Hampton Collins was in his element. The ultimate attraction he could present to his visitors was his patroness Catherine de Bour and to have her preside over them in all her glory at a dinner table was all he could wish for. He accomplished nothing that day but encouragement of his visitors at the prospect of their visit to Rosings and waxing on (and on and on) about the qualities of his patroness. Darren joined in the chatter whenever they were together and sought to rival his son-in-law's chatter with pointers of his own about his experiences as a politician and the many different skills you learned at such a job and the many different people you encountered. "But really, I am used to such a personality and rank as you describe in your patroness. I have seen it all the time in my years as a state senator. So often people came to me from all walks of life wanting my help as their representative. Such a person will not bother me in the slightest."

LizE found all of their encounters over-bearing and was happy to have her work to distract her. A plethora of maps of the estate had been dutifully commed to her as promised by Anne and she holed up in her room to study the layouts and make notes and plans in the morning. Her afternoon was a delightful one as she made an initial foray into Rosings Park walking the perimeter as far as she could (making notes of possible botanical specimins for further investigation) and enjoying the quiet and solitude. A large scrub oak beckoned her and she left a small pathway to investigate its large gnarled limbs and branches and wide trunk so large around she estimated it would take three or four Bens linking arms to ring it. There was something comforting about a 150 year old tree, and she leaned her back against it and looked out over the mostly golden view, spotted with greens and browns, and felt contented, happy and pleased with having come.

* * *

A lot of discussion went back and forth between the master and mistress of the house as to how they would get to Rosings. Driving two cars seemed excessive yet for some reason William C. was reluctant to let Darren drive all four of them. Some aspect of fear of loss of control, LizE felt and tired of the bullheadedness of the men said she would walk. "You are dressed for it, certainly," commented William C. as he looked at her comfortable leggings, loose tunic and sturdy shoes. "Not quite the dress Catherine is expecting to see at her dinner table, but walk if you wish."

Charlotte spoke up to say it unfair to let her walk but LizE laughed and set out without waiting for any more banter on the subject. If it was dark when she was to get home it might be a different matter but she was tired of the discussion. Her F.I.D. band gave her access to the large gate that closed the driveway and she made her way up it in good time. She was within sight of the house when William C.'s car passed her, Darren in the passenger seat and Charlotte squeezed into the small area behind the seats; it was not meant as a passenger area. The trio was all straightening their clothes by the time she reached them, William C. already discussing the architecture of the building. There was something about the proportions of the building, apparently, that gave glory to the Grand Zephyr; even better examples were to be found inside Rosings House.

Anne met them at the door though this evening she only nodded to them without saying any word in greeting. They were led from an entrance hall that was larger than the Ben family room to an even larger room that seemed to be a nod to a sort of old-fashioned library as it had a few bound books and some high-backed chairs that did not look inviting or inducements to read. Through that room was a room decorated all in blue hues. Catherine de Bour sat in the one item that was not of that shade. Her high-backed upholstered chair (quite like the ones in the library next door) was of gold. There was a dark blue stool in front where she could rest her feet but a man sat there, long legs out in front.

Catherine was beautiful. It was impossible to place her age; if she really was aunt to William Darcy then she had to be over forty, probably over fifty. Her beauty was honed and planed both by exercise and by a knife but LizE recalled that conversation with Juno about the rich who illegally sought to stay young by replacing their organs and she wondered if the perfected beauty in front of her was just such a person.

Catherine de Bour waved them in with one hand just like a queen on her throne and LizE felt that the whole thing was a bit over-the-top and staged. William C. fumbled and mumbled some apologies about their tardiness but LizE could see by a digital clock mounted into the wall that they were still early. Charlotte put a hand on her husband's arm to quiet him and took over the introductions which she did in a simple and straightforward manner. Darren Lucas, who had walked purposefully into the room behind his son-in-law, now stood upright with his hands in his pockets staring at Catherine who pronounced her name the French way, with an emphasis on the end: Cat-reen. He was a little hidden behind his daughter and LizE, and did not move forward when he was introduced only opening his eyes wide, wetting his lips and nodding slightly. LizE moved away from him and held out her hand to her hostess which seemed to startle Catherine and the gentleman at her foot stared at LizE with the same look of astonishment. The 'great' lady recovered and held out a hand covered in precious stones which LizE shook firmly.

The lady indicated seats and then introduced the other occupant of the room, a gesture which LizE found rude as she thought it was meant to put Mr. Jinks on unequal footing with Catherine de Bour. "He's my chef, and chauffer, plus he does odd jobs for me," explained Catherine. "He is so devoted to me, as is Anne," she waved at Anne who was so quiet they had forgotten she was there. "In my place it is easy to have people take advantage of you, so I have been lucky to find such devoted employees." She smiled, her teeth pearly white. "Anne handles all of my business affairs, works beside me tirelessly. And now I have dear William to run my church." She waved a hand at William C. who rose up in his seat as if he were controlled by strings," such devotion, but then we are all devoted to the Grand Zephyr. I was the founder of our little local church and have invited so many of my neighbors to find the true light and life that the Grand Zephyr offers. We have quite a large following now, don't we William?" William C. smiled and bobbed again in his seat like a puppet.

And so their evening began and continued. The grand lady sat on her golden throne and talked on subjects large, like politics (such as the policies of President-for-life Sanchez), and small, like how large of a greenhouse William C. should construct in his garden. Darren sat mute and largely continued his imitation of a statue but LizE was equal to talking but never seemed to be given the chance. She saw a lot of similarities between the Patroness and the Patronee and wondered if William C. aspired to become exactly like his patroness in all things beginning with discourse.

Catherine de Bour had been intrigued with the somewhat celebrity status of Darren Lucas, former state senator, but not being able to elicit many answers from him she turned to her other visitor. She began directing questions to LizE. What was her occupation? Her father's occupation? Did he own any land? Had he ever been in business? Did her family own any stocks? What religions did she follow? LizE bristled as the barrage of questions that assaulted her but she had been schooled many times by her boss Dr. Badre, Juno and Aunt Meg to hold her tongue and mind her manners so she did and answered them as best she could or got out of answering them to the best of her abilities (especially the last question) so as to keep access to the Rosings estate and her research.

Mr. Jinks (whose first name she was not told) got up to work on their dinner, or finish it, which seemed to remove a barrier with his presence from her foot stool gone. Catherine watched Mr. Jinks go and then turned back to LizE. "You said you have four sisters?"

"Yes and one brother."

"Your parents must have been a slave to your education. Naturally I assume you did home schooling."

"We did do the government online program but it was augmented by additions from both my parents, even more so from my mother."

"I am surprised to hear your mother had the time to do any such thing with six children in the house."

"She did it to help expand our minds since our geographic horizons couldn't be as easily expanded with travel a more difficult and costly venture these days. She also needed something to keep busy; she's a trained phycologist but never had an opportunity to work in her field. She had wished to work at the Pacific Central Coast Institute and had many ties and a recommendation to it but she finished her studies just at the height of the GMO crop failures. There was such a backlash against science and scientists even though she wasn't tinkering with algae to make food, just as a fuel alternative, that she had to give it up. But I think people don't think straight in these situations. The PCC Institute down-sized, and she didn't get a job when she really wanted to work."

"You are very opinionated for one so young and inexperienced. Tell me your age."

"You can hardly expect me to be young having completed all my Uni studies and being a working woman."

Catherine seemed quite astonished at not receiving a direct answer and LizE suspected herself to be the first creature in that blue room ever to dare trifle with her.

"You cannot be past your mid 20s for all you claim."

"I am 25."

Mr. Jinks then called them all in to eat. He, like Cassandra Nicholls, was an excellent cook and LizE lingered over each course or dish or bite and for the most part blocking out the chatter between Catherine and William C. Darren Lucas had finally recovered enough to speak now and again whenever he could get a word in, often echoing whatever his son-in-law said. Charlotte, like LizE, enjoyed her meal more than she enjoyed sharing her opinion. Anne did not speak at all beyond conferring with LizE that she had received what she needed to get started the next day.

After dinner, despite what she expected (more talking), LizE found the great patroness liked to play games. This was another hat that Mr. Jinks wore in addition to his chef's and chauffer's hats. He was a game designer. The six of them played a part puzzle, part sandbox, part strategy, part board-game that used holographic tablets and required them to think in three dimensions as they built a small cooperative town or island (Catherine had opted for the island) that then became a board game upon which they competed. LizE noticed that though they all had standard-issue holographic glasses, Catherine had special light-weight ones which did leave weals on the temples.

LizE loved the new game and felt her entire family would have hours of fun playing it. She was brought crashing home when Catherine de Bour said haughtily that the game was proprietary and for her family's sole use. The evening ended soon afterwards. Their means of transport over was mentioned. Catherine chastised William C. for letting LizE walk and not taking Darren up on his offer to drive. William's face drooped and LizE could not help but think he and Fergus resembled each other at that moment. Catherine offered up Mr. Jinks to drive LizE home. LizE accepted as it was dark.

During the car ride back, LizE again said how much she liked the game and Mr. Jinks offered it to her.

"Won't that get you in trouble with Ms. de Bour?"

"No, what she doesn't know won't hurt her."

"But we don't have holographic tablets…oh but my brother has some on loan!" she brightened at the prospect of playing the game with her family.

"That is perfect. I'll call you my testers, it is better this way in case she does find out…just make sure she doesn't," and he winked as best he could in the car and even blew her a kiss as if they were already fast friends.

In her room she contemplated how much she liked Mr. Jinks (just what _was_ his first name?) and Anne when she considered that Catherine de Bour was exactly as she expected (as George had warned her about) and someone she would wish to avoid if it was not both advantageous to her work and for her friend Charlotte to remain in Catherine de Bour's good graces.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Anne came by again in the morning to ensure that LizE was completely settled as far as what she needed for getting around Rosings. Catherine had been quite vocal about William C.'s neglect the evening before so had sent Anne back again. She was a chatterbox where she had been quiet the night before and it struck LizE as quite a contrast. She wondered if Anne, like so many, found Catherine de Bour intimidating or if Catherine had some hold over her.

Anne, who had come over on horseback again, mentioned to LizE that there were two other horses in the barn and she was free to ride either one to get around.

"I can see you know your horse friends," remarked Anne as they stood talking near Dandy the palomino.

"I love to ride," admitted LizE. "We have a nice bit of land so I get around on Rowan most days if I can."

"I am sure either Austen or Chicory would suit you. Will likes to ride Austen when he's here. He's coming the middle of next week with Ned for a few days so maybe you should ride Chicory." LizE turned to look from the soft muzzle she'd been petting to catch Anne's eye.

"Will Darcy?" she asked.

"Yes, he's due for a short visit. Do you know him?" Her face was unreadable but LizE thought Anne knew the answer.

"Yes, we met in Meryton." She went back to nuzzling Dandy. "I'll be sure to ride Chicory so Darcy doesn't have even more reasons to hate me." Anne raised a pale eyebrow but said nothing; she mounted Dandelion and waved herself off.

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Darren Lucas stayed only a few days. He warmed considerable to his son-in-law and the two of them trotted around together most days. He may still miss Charlotte's guiding hand in the store (Chris Bromley's help was still to-be-decided) but he found favor with his daughter's choice of husband and of faith. By Friday Darren was parroting lines that William C. espoused all the time about the Grand Zephyr. LizE wondered if he was truly a convert or simply getting into the spirit of the household as a way of being friendly to his new son-in-law. It would be an interesting topic to the Meryton neighborhood if a church of the Grand Zephyr opened. That would certainly provide a topic of conversation for six months at least.

88888

LizE kept busy knowing she had only been granted a magical three weeks for field research. She rose earlier than she was used to, grabbed breakfast from what she could scavenge and spent most of the days outside: in the sunshine, buggy, burry, dirty and watching the scenery which was alive with wildlife. While her family's property was extensive it was still surrounded by habited places so while squirrels and birds abounded, there was few other wildlife. Here she saw rabbits, a bobcat, a family of quail all in a line, the tracks at the far end of the property suggested a mountain lion, and one day a wild boar far across a clearing. The chance encounter startled both of them and she was thankful to be on horseback (and wondered that Chicory had not sensed the creature). They both turned and fled from each other.

After a few long days of research she found breakfast waiting for her and a hearty lunch packed. She thanked her friend profusely that evening when she returned (one leg covered in mud from a spill) for the support. Charlotte reiterated how happy she was to have her friend come visit. Once or twice LizE came back mid-day and lunched at the house. William C. was never around; his Receptor duties kept him occupied most of the day.

Very often he walked over to Rosings to consult with Catherine de Bour about some minute matter and sometimes Charlotte went along with him. LizE found the house charming when the echoing voice of William C. did not bounce off the walls. Fergus the puppy took to following her around when she was at home though he did have a soft spot for Charlotte for all that Aunt Lily had given him to Cousin William.

It always seemed that whenever the house was at its quietest the front door would be thrown open and a voice would call for "William." LizE often wondered why Catherine never bothered with comms but seemed to prefer personal communication. Perhaps to better throw her personality around as it did always seem to fill up the house, Charlotte often opening up windows afterwards to air out their house. Nothing escaped Catherine de Bour's notice about the local goings on and she often came to borrow William C. as a second in order to bully and scold their fellow parishoners into harmony.

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Every few days they ate at Rosings an experience which was largely a repeat of the first evening. There were lots of discussion between Catherine and William C., an excellent meal and entertainment from Mr. Jinks and barely a peep from Anne. Her first week was punctuated by attending services with her friend and friend's spouse at their church. LizE commed Juno and Aunt Meg later that day that it was "illuminating. I had expected a bigger crowd, though perhaps their congregation is larger but not everyone attends every week. Like our old church there is singing and readings and a sermon. A few people were dressed like Cousin William. The mood was more serious and less inviting or welcoming than I recall from the times Fancy managed to get all six of us off to church. They do like their winged metaphors, all the discussion about flying right in life now so they can fly right in the after-life: there was a lot of that. But they _love_ wings and the sky as symbols, that is their equivalent of a smiley face as near as I can tell (Juno I mean well, don't chastise). On the other hand, water and waves are bad, so they are used sparingly. I doubt Cousin William will put in any water features in his garden (ok J., you can chastise me for that one). I suppose, all-in-all, it gives some message of hope that church members find comfort in. LotE does seem happier with her marriage and move up here and I am happy things have worked out well for her. On another note, Will Darcy is due to arrive sometime this week. It is apparently a semi-annual visit he pays to his aunt. Why it had to coincide with my trip I shall never know. Just My Tough Luck. I shall have to grin and bear it and I promise to continue to be on my best behavior, though I am sure he will put me to the test (I pinkie swear Juno). At least I have my work. My days are quite long but I am finding I love field work far more than I could possibly know (Aunt Meg I understand the wanderlust for it now!). Every morning I see something new as I walk outside; I feel like life is new again, even if it is just a small bud that opened up on one of Cousin William's bushes as I leave the front gate. Easter is in a week (though I do not think anyone here will celebrate or even acknowledge it) but somehow I see that new blossom or bud or leaf every morning and I think of spring and Easter and of new possibilities. Ah well, no egg-hunting for me this year. Don't let Luna and KitE beat you to the eggs, Juno, and perhaps someone should help Fancy dye those twelve dozen eggs for the hunt? Maybe Mark and Mara can automate the process? (No, perhaps that isn't the best idea!) Signing off, LizE"

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Her days continued to be long and full and busy but LizE was surprised to find William C. rattling around the kitchen far earlier than she had ever seen him Thursday morning. He assembled some sort of breakfast for himself and for once was quiet as he ate heartily. She realized she had never really seen him partake of his first meal of the day—it was obviously his favorite.

She returned just before lunch (it was completely unplanned) having managed to land in not a moving stream of clear water but a stagnant, scum-covered (and frankly well-camouflaged) mosquito-infested pool. She was stinky, muddy and had an itchy patch on one arm that made her consider that some of the vegetation she had fallen thru on the way to that icky, murky pond was poison oak. Charlotte was not around, having apparently borrowed the car for errands, but William C. met her with a horrified face. LizE explained and for once followed his lead and apologized about the unplanned trip home mid-day and for tracking muddy bits in their front entranceway. He was less concerned for her well-being after such an adventure, and such a fall, than that Will Darcy might have seen her.

She had forgotten Darcy was due to arrive that day (and with _another_ nephew of Catherine's) which explained why her cousin had been up early and was sticking to the house.

"Thank the great god he has not arrived yet!" he exclaimed still raking his eyes from the bits that fell from her shoes up her body to the muddy mass of her hair. LizE just scratched her arm under his scrutiny. "Go, make haste and wash up. I'll keep up my vigil on the road. I don't expect he will stop in on the way to Rosings but you never know."

Still scratching and more than ever convinced it was poison oak, LizE climbed the stairs to shower and change. Afterwards she recalled that Fancy insisted that vodka cut the sting of poison oak's itch and for the first time she wished Caro was present with her magic cocktail cart (both for the itch and to drink with such a visitor due). What a day, mud puddles, poison oak and Will Darcy! She prayed he did _not_ stop by and was thankful when loud voices below drew her downstairs and she heard William C. telling LotE (returned from her errands) about having seen the long looked-for silver car drive by and up the Rosings driveway with the second nephew inside. He could barely contain his excitement and it was only after having been settled down to eat that it occurred to him he could comm his patroness his congratulations to her. He rose and ran out the dining room door to use the comm screen in his study. He missed a great deal of dinner but LizE did not mind. Neither did Charlotte seem to either.

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The itching bothered her all night but she did her best not to scratch. In the morning she set out as planned having applied some cream Charlotte recommended. William C. had insisted that there was no alcohol—no vodka—in the house except for some sacramental wine. By late morning the itching was distracting LizE from her research and she headed home for either more cream or to find a different solution.

She was still on the outskirts of the estate, and the parsonage was not yet visible, when she saw two figures coming towards her: one tall, another shorter, both dark in coloring. She scratched her arm in annoyance at her perverse luck to run into Darcy so soon. The two groups kept walking until they met up by an open expanse littered with wildflowers competing with each other for glory.

Will Darcy was the same: tall, cool and aloof and looking down on her as if she had erred in some way. The other nephew was of average height, admittedly not as good-looking as his cousin, with a neatly trimmed beard and something about him that reminded LizE of Santa Claus (and it wasn't the beard). He was grinning broadly as he and Darcy walked up to her, holding out his hand.

"Miss Ben! You are LizE Ben?" it was a sheepish smile now, "I am Ned FitzWilliam, Catherine's nephew and an unfortunate cousin to this fellow here," he indicated Darcy by thumping him on the chest.

"LizE, call me LizE," she held out her hand.

"Ned, call me Ned," he had a firm handshake and did not seem to want to release her hand. He drank in her eyes and face before finally releasing her hand with a smile. She was grinning back at him as if he had infected her with some happiness virus. "I am thrilled to meet up with you. We stopped at the padre's house but no one was home so we kept on going. Too nice of a morning to go back inside. Were you going home? We can walk back with you."

LizE wasn't sure what her expectations had been for this mysterious other nephew and cousin to the dour Will Darcy but Ned was not like his cousin, and like Anne and Mr. Jinks she liked him at face value. He seemed a straight-forward down-to-earth sort of man. Older than Darcy who had yet to say a word to her though she thought he had inclined his head as a sort of greeting. Ned had on cargo pants with a multitude of pockets and a comfortable shirt. Darcy's pants had a crisp pleat and the shirt looked too tightly fitting, the collar too snug for his neck that she wanted to un-do the top button or two.

Ned was an easy man to talk with and they chatted about the estate and its history before arriving too soon at the Collins' door. LizE scratched unconsciously at her arm. Ned followed her actions and reached out with gentle hands to turn her arm over and examine it. He made tsking noises with his tongue. "Poison oak, huh. Did you try vodka?"

"No. Charlotte didn't have any."

"Try mine," and he produced a hip flask from one of his pockets. Darcy's eyes widened at the sight. LizE reached for it but Ned pulled it out of her reach and insisted on doctoring her arm himself. The alcohol cut the itch and she smiled. "Ah, I can see it does work. I will leave this with you until you've healed." He screwed the cap on, twirled the flask in the air and then held it out to her. She thanked him profusely, a big grin on her face.

"Aunt Catherine has invited you to dinner tomorrow night. By you I mean all three of you," Darcy interjected.

"Thank you," mustered LizE though for some reason she felt like laughing, "Cousin William and Charlotte will be pleased to come." The two men waited for her to enter the hosue before they returned to the park.


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

LizE looked forward to the dinner with a greater enthusiasm than she ever considered she would have for a dinner at Rosings House. For the rest of Friday and Saturday she heartily tackled work. She saddled Chicory to reach some of the furthest corners of the Rosings estate (and did not run into Will Darcy in the posh Rosings barn or on her ride).

LizE refused to be cramped into the crawl space behind William C's seats in his little car or let Charlotte be scolded into doing so, so she had established the habit of walking over and being driven back by Mr. Jinks. Tonight Mr. Jinks, with Ned FitzWilliam in the car, was waiting outside the parsonage and the two of them made a big show of picking up a princess (or was that Cinderella winked Ned) for the ball. LizE stopped as she was getting into the back seat while Mr. Jinks held the door to finally ask his given name.

"Spencer," called Ned from the other side of the car. Mr. Jinks looked sheepish, and LizE got in still not sure whether she had permission to call him by his first name. Ned was talkative the whole ride over and LizE found that though their opinions might not align in all things he was fascinating to talk to.

Catherine's large living room, or parlor, was actually not conducive to small side conversations. The chairs were arranged in a semi-circle around her throne at the center. The great lady was tepid in her greetings to LizE and the Collinses who had driven over right behind Mr. Jinks' car. The implication was that her present guest, Will Darcy (in pride of place at her right side) was far more important than anyone else. Anne sat next to him and the trio had been talking when everyone else arrived. William C. hurried to take the open seat next to Catherine, Charlotte trailing slowly behind but first taking the time to greet Anne and Darcy. LizE followed her friend's example and greeted Catherine and Darcy, the latter catching her eyes and smiling which made her take a step back. She intended to go sit with Anne but Ned captured her hand. "Let's go sit in the Library," and began pulling her away, "come on Hijinks." Mr. Jinks looked at their clasped hands and shook his head.

"I should stay here: dinner prep and stuff…" and he took LizE's intended seat next to Anne.

Ned and LizE boldly left the parlor leaving the connecting doors open to sit in the Library. She had never been so entertained in that house before. Ned worked at a company called Universal Exports as some sort of manager and knew all about the Lucas Import/Export business in answer to her question. He had traveled extensively and she recalled many comments from Caro and Lois about the Darcy family's ability to travel in these days of closed borders, tightly controlled visas and highly regulated (and costly) transportation. She supposed Darcy Rail and de Bour Shipping connections had a lot to do with it. Ned did not mention his family outside of Will Darcy and Catherine but they talked of so much she had not thought to ask.

"You two are cozy," said a voice.

How the term "cozy" could be applied to anything in what was likely a thousand square foot room, LizE did not know.

"Hello," was all she could think to say.

"Hello," said Darcy from the doorway, "I think we are to eat soon. Spencer's gone off to work his magic."

"Yum," replied Ned leaping to his feet and then reaching for LizE's and hauling her up. "Let's go." He headed to the parlor not seeing if she followed. She trailed behind him; Darcy waiting for her. When she reached him he turned and walked beside her though not saying another word.

* * *

After dinner there was business to discuss and Ned somehow knew he could not steal LizE away. The following day was Easter and while the day was not a holy day for those followers of the Grand Zephyr, still Catherine de Bour and William Collins laid out careful plans about ensuring that everyone attend church. Voices rose, especially from the two principals, as three of their number of eight said they would not attend services at the Grand Zephyr's church. Catherine reluctantly, though quickly, agreed to LizE's request as a guest and not a member of the church to be obliged to attend.

But Catherine spent a long time trying to understand why Anne and Darcy did not want to go. Their answers were vague at first, and pale Anne could apparently blush beautifully. Catherine harangued them further. Darcy said he had some important business affairs to handle that had come up. Anne continued to be vague saying repeatedly she was feeling unwell. LizE looked from one to the other, both Darcy and Anne were looking at objects d'art in the room and not at Catherine or the other occupants, and she thought that George's suspicions of their being a couple were confirmed and that they had plans together in the morning while the rest of the house was busy.

* * *

It was impossible to sleep in with the underlying noise level and even Fergus nudged her door open to come invite her to join in all the morning's chaos. LizE felt for sure that there had to be more than three people in the house given the noise level; it reminded her of being home and in her own house of eight. Breakfast was partaken of (Charlotte having prepared a large meal) and all of the details slowly checked off some list William C. and Charlotte had in their heads as to what needed to be done before services, what needed to be brought, preparations completed for for afterwards. William C. made one last appeal to LizE to come to church, stressing how disappointed his patroness would be but she stood her ground and she and Fergus watched them walk off, satchels in hand, down the garden path to turn left at the gate and head the half mile off to church. The couple never drove but always walked.

Fergus found something of interest in the forbidden front gardens (he was usually never allowed permission) so LizE left him, making sure the door was unlocked to his doggie flap and went inside. She finished a second cup of morning coffee without hearing his toenails in the entrance hall so went looking for him; she couldn't find him at all in William C.'s precious gardens and worried he had slipped through the green hedge to run to Rosings Park and looked across the road. The spotless white car of Catherine de Bour was pulling down the driveway. LizE could see Mr. Jinks (she could only call him that, not Spencer) with Ned beside him and presumably Catherine in the back behind the tinted glass. The car turned right and drove off down the road to church. LizE returned to searching the well laid-out gardens for Fergus but had no luck and vowed to make a quick sweep of the house before putting on strong shoes for a proper hunt outside. She had almost closed the front door when a flash of light caught her eye, the sunlight striking the roof of silver car as it made the last turn in the Rosings driveway before the gate. LizE cracked the door a bit to watch the car, wondering if Darcy had been cajoled into attending church but the car turned left and as it quickly zipped by the parsonage she could see two figures in the front seat. Her suspicions about Darcy and Anne went into over-drive though she wondered where they were going and why they had not stayed in the house to take advantage of everyone being gone all morning. Perhaps it was not a physical relationship; he was a good-looking man when he was not stony faced, though so often he was. LizE could imagine kissing Darcy, and then shook her head as such a thought was disloyal to Anne who had been a good friend to her, in her quiet way, the past two weeks.

She started her house search with William C.'s study and found Fergus curled up, cat-like, in William's favorite chair. LizE gave him a good scolding and warned him that for all he was good with stealthy feet (she had obviously not heard toenails or a jingle of a collar) the shaggy fur left on the chair was sure to give him away one day and get him into trouble.

* * *

The Collinses returned from church and they all returned to Rosings for an early dinner. Again Mr. Jinks and Ned met her at the parsonage to drive her over and again Ned ferreted LizE away to the Library. Mr. Jinks took courage and joined them and they must have been too lively or too loud as Catherine called out all the way from her throne "What is it you are talking about Ned? What tales are you telling LizE? Really, I must hear. Ned come back. Come here. Jinks, you too!" The men stood obediently leaving LizE who watched them go with astonishment at their capitulation to Catherine's demands. Rather than return to the parlor she stood and began a proper examination of the Library.

Catherine de Bour had old-fashioned books though they looked as if they had never been touched judging by the dust and the uniformity of the way they sat on the shelf. The objects d'art looked pricey and only chosen because they were expensive. LizE recalled Chaz's collection which was more eclectic but obviously had special meaning if he moved it with him from house to house.

Hidden behind those high-backed chairs was an upright piano. It had been stained to match the paneling and did a good job of blending in. She wondered at its being there and if, at one time, someone in the house had played. The cover was down and she opened it, pulling a thick woolen cloth from the keys. The note she played was true, so obviously it had been played at one time. There was no bench, so LizE leaned over and played a half dozen bars. The Ben family was musical as well as competitive. All six of them, and Fancy (though not Tom), played a portable brass or wind instrument. And, sometime in his early teens Mark had found a banged-up electronic keyboard and successfully fixed it up. He and LizE had taught themselves to play though she rarely played for anyone outside the family. Her public performances more often were on karaoke. She also rarely had the opportunity to play on an actual piano. The old Brown family had an out of tune one but so often she never had the chance to feel weighted keys.

"You play," said a voice in her ear. She played a minor chord as she looked over at Darcy.

"Yes, Mark and I taught ourselves how to play. I think I have only played on an actual piano a half dozen times. It is lovely." She ran a two octave scale up and down.

"I don't know anyone else who played besides my Uncle Lewis. This was his." She finished her scale and straightened up taking her hands from the keys.

"I fear this is another thing for your aunt to quibble with me about. Playing her late husband's piano."

"You do it beautifully." She closed up the piano as before and they returned to the parlor.

"I can tell you have been fingering my property Ms. Ben," declared Catherine as soon as she crossed the threshold. "If you feel free to play the piano how do I know you aren't fingering all of the pieces of my collection in there and maybe pocketing them?"

Darcy, standing next to her, looking embarrassed at his aunt's rude remarks.

Catherine continued, "but perhaps if you have some pig-headed notion of playing we had best support it. Be charitable and fly right as the Grand Zephyr says. If you truly wish to play, Mr. Jinks has a piano in his suite of rooms. You can stop by and play that one. You wouldn't be in anyone's way in that part of the house," Catherine waved her hand vaguely but Mr. Jinks was not there to agree or refute the suggestion. Darcy's face again clouded over at his aunt's rudeness.

After dinner, Catherine de Bour had a bee in her bonnet about performances, so insisted that the karaoke gear be brought out. Mr. Jinks and Ned went to fetch it and set it up. William C. looked on with wide eyes as he had certainly espoused some objections to such displays. LizE wondered what sort of catalog of songs the great lady would have and was not surprised that it had not been updated in many years though it mostly contained popular tunes. As soon as they were ready to begin, Ned began to vehemently call for the scullery maid, Cinderella, and the cook to have a sing off. LizE had no idea if she could blush as prettily as Anne, but she was sure she did blush at Ned's suggestions. She wondered if his flask, which had been returned to him that evening, had been re-filled and he was sneaking sips.

Catherine put her blessing on the idea of LizE and Mr. Jinks have a singing competition. Apparently Mr. Jinks had been a performer of some kind before as one of his multitude of past occupations; Ned played it up with hints of Broadway performances "but lo! there is our country miss who sings like a nightingale, come to charm us all with her fairy tale performances!" LizE was regretting that the whole idea had been suggested and wondered why they weren't playing one of Mr. Jinks' great games.

She was brave and rose to the 'ladies first' suggestion, choosing a song she knew well and for which she had canned moves. Her performance was one of her best, her Ben-ness rising to the challenge. The audience clapped heartily and Mr. Jinks eyed her with a bit of surprise and seemed to look more closely at the catalog as if the prize was not going to be as easily won.

Darcy had risen from his seat and moved closer to the little stage area during her performance and watched her with a smile of enjoyment on his face. She wondered if she had picked a favorite song of his. He did not return to his seat when she was done, but stood where he had landed, now staring at her.

"Do you meant to frighten me Darcy?" she asked with a false smile. "Is this some ploy to undermine my performance by staring at me with wolfish eyes? But I am no sheep to do your biding, and will not fold the competition so that you might get back to your business that had so occupied you all day. I am too stubborn to be intimidated; for all that we know you would rather be elsewhere."

"I think I have known you long enough to know you like to express quick-witted opinions which may not be based in reality," said Darcy, his smile fading.

"And here I thought I could pass myself off as a decent person on this side of the bridge! I had thought to be the princess, and I am outted as the scullery maid!" She turned to Ned who had come up to look through the karaoke catalog with Mr. Jinks. "Your cousin may say some unkind things about me and teach you not to believe a word I say. It is provoking me to retaliate."

"I am not afraid of what you will say," remarked Darcy.

"I should love to hear what you have to say about him. It should be interesting to know how he behaves among strangers. We were boys together, so I have no fair opinion of him as a man," replied Ned joining them as Spencer Jinks hooked up the buttons and controls.

"He is aloof, an iceberg, quite the cold fish; not quite my notion of the CEO of a business. I first met him at a party where all he did was complain about the quality of the alcohol and do his best imitation of the invisible man. Now Darcy, you cannot deny that you met, maybe, two people the whole evening?"

"I was new to the area; besides it wasn't me they wanted to meet. I am not the best at introductions with strangers."

"How do you know who you want to meet at a party? You just meet them and get on with the talking, don't you?" she asked this of Ned who nodded. "Shall we ask Mr. Will Darcy, CEO, how it is he can be a man of education and business and not be good with strangers? Are they not part and parcel of his work?"

"I suspect he will argue that the two situations are completely different. I have seen him talk to investors; he can be charming when he needs to be," replied Ned looking at his cousin.

"Perhaps he needs more practice at parties then," she mused, looking up at Darcy. She smiled at him, and he smiled back.

"Perhaps I need to employ my time in a different manner. Less business, more party."

"That might be a start. Ever considered karaoke?" she teased. The horrified look on his face was a definite negative.

Catherine called out that they were blocking the stage and that Mr. Jinks had been ready for ages and could they all please sit down. Mr. Jinks' performance blew LizE away and she was ready to concede the competition after just the two performances. She felt that Ned's hints about Mr. Jinks having performed on Broadway had to be correct. But neither Darcy nor Ned would let her give in, so she sang a second time, and again was almost brought to tears by Spencer Jinks' voice when he performed again.

Catherine was less encouraging of LizE and had an obvious favorite in her chef/chauffer/odd-jobs man and made frequent remarks both during and after LizE's performances about LizE's lack of both taste and talent. She insisted that LizE needed a lot of practice, though, in fact, conceded her voice was not so bad, but needed a lot of training if she wanted to be anything as good as Mr. Jinks' natural style. LizE would need a master for that, and would need to travel to a big city like New York or London or Paris for training with a master. Just like her dear niece, GEO, was doing these days with her new-found talent for watercolors. LizE forbear all of the remarks as she wished to continue to have access to the Rosings estate for her final ten days of research, though it was certainly a difficult price to pay.

Darcy and Ned finally let their Aunt Catherine declare Mr. Jinks the winner of the competition.


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

LizE was saddling up Chicory in the posh Rosings barn (the horses had air conditioning, the Collinses did not) when she heard the sound of the large door being opened. Footsteps echoed in the walkway and approached the stall, stopping right at the end.

"Hello?" she called, hoping it was Anne, but she thought the footsteps sounded heavier. It could be that Ned or Mr. Jinks rode.

"LizE, are you getting ready to set out?" asked Darcy peering into the stall. She peered over Chicory's back, her hands still fussing with the fit of the saddle on the horse's back.

"Yes," she replied and ducked down to reach the strap and then worked on synching up the saddle.

"May I ride out with you?" he asked. She grunted as she pulled to tighten the strap. "Was that a yes or a no? I honestly don't know with you," and he chuckled. His laugh, which she could not recall ever hearing before, was deep and rumbly, but not like scary like thunder, it had a softness and familiarity to it.

She kept synching and grunted again while she racked her brains for a reason to say no, but she could not think of an excuse, his aunt, her property and all of Juno's and Aunt Meg's strictures to 'be nice.'

"Yes of course." She stood up and looked across at him. "I am not really riding, per se, not riding for my own exercise or the horse's. I am afraid I am a working woman and using Chicory as a pack animal."

"That's okay," he replied, "anything that gets me out of the house is great. I can use the air and exercise. Whatever direction you pick is great. The sunshine might help to melt the ice, er iceberg." And he chuckled again. It was the most animated LizE had seen him (and she couldn't really see him as he was obscured by the bars of the stall door and the large horse that stood between them). He seemed to have taken to heart the conversation from the previous evening or had at least acknowledged what she had teasingly said about him in front of his cousin. She wondered that he cared enough to be concerned with her opinion.

They rode out in silence to begin with, quite like a long silence at a party in the past, she felt. And like then, she felt as though she wanted him to speak, so she began by asking what the others at Rosings were doing. He said there was a lot of sleeping in occurring, though Anne was one for early mornings and her administrative responsibilities for Aunt Catherine kept her busy most days. But Ned was treating this like a holiday, Mr. Jinks kept odd hours and his Aunt never rose early. They lapsed into silence again.

"How suddenly you left our little town of Meryton, Mr. Darcy," she threw out as a means of breaking it again. "Have you seen Chaz recently, is he doing well?"

"Could you not call me Will?" he asked.

"Will," she tasted the name on her tongue and looked over at him on the back of Austen. "No Darcy, I can't. So is he well?"

"Chaz is well. I drove up from Los Angeles and saw him just on Wednesday. He has been looking into a new investment at the Kenilworth Institute; I think he has acquired a taste for scientific research."

"The Kenilworth! Hmmm, they are doing some genetic research that is a bit on the controversial side. They used to be more involved with genetically modified crops and other botanicals but dialed all of that down after the debacles in the fifties. Word in the scientific hallways is that they are still doing a lot of genetic tinkering even if political policy is against them. I would caution him to mind those T&amp;C's and to read his documentation thoroughly."

He was looking at her with a wondering face. "He has just started his investigation. I will be sure to give him your insights."

"Do you think Chaz is likely to come back to the Netherfield Institute very often? Check on his investments and all that?"

"I don't see him coming back, or at least, not frequently. A lot of the management can be done remotely. It may be that you and your co-workers do not see him again for some time."

She dared not venture any further into the subject of Chaz Bingley so she stopped talking. Silence grew between them, though they were surrounded by sound, buzzing, leaves rattled by gusts of wind, the constant chirping of birds, the cat-calling of squirrels and some over-all drone of life as mother nature kept it humming along despite all the mishaps human beings had thrown at her.

"Aunt Catherine seems to have fitted up a nice little house for your cousin and your friend," he broke the silence.

"It is a pleasant little house, and William has done a great deal to the gardens. The best part of the house is Fergus though," laughed LizE.

"Who or what is Fergus," he asked.

"You should come over some day and find out," she answered cryptically. They were nearing her first stop for the day and she warned him of the fact. They rode on; Darcy asking a few questions about her interests and how it felt to be away from home before she reached her day camp.

Rather than continue to ride on, he helped to picket Chicory and to unpack her equipment before he finally remounted Austen and offered her a warm "good morning" before riding off.

* * *

She had Fergus at her feet and a warm cup of herbal tea in her hands, having enjoyed a good shower to boot, when the doorbell rang. As LizE was sitting in Charlotte's comfy parlor and she never had visitors, it did not occur to her to consider answering the door with both Charlotte and William C. at home. Fergus must have had a rough puppy day as he did not tear off at the sound of the doorbell but stayed at her feet and she wondered what he could have gotten up to be so tired.

"Hello," said Darcy from the doorway. William C. was hovering behind him. Fergus leapt to his feet and made a dash to the stranger, barking happily as if suddenly given a shot of adrenaline. "I have come, on your invitation, to see Fergus. I suspect this loud ball of fluff is he." He folded his frame down to pet the dog. LizE could see her cousin's eyes widen at the notion that LizE was inviting such illustrious personages to his humble parsonage. William C. turned, she assumed to go fetch Charlotte and probably gather some sort of refreshments together.

LizE left her feet up on her footstool and watched the scene, the tall man grinning as he scratched an equally happy puppy on his tummy.

"That's Fergus. He has the biggest heart, the clumsiest feet, and sheds constantly. You will regret petting him when you see what those black slacks of yours look like in a minute," she laughed.

"I see that already," he said looking down at his legs. He stood up and came to sit next to her. Fergus trotted behind him and sat between them to maximize his potential scritches. "I needed a break from some work tonight, so went for a walk and ended here. I had to take up your challenge, you see … to see this Fergus." The puppy pricked up his ears at the sound of his name but since no hand came down to pet him he closed his eyes again.

"I hope he lives up to your expectations," she said loftily but with a big grin on her face. In answer, Fergus let out a toot which set them both laughing. They laughed until William C. and Charlotte showed up with a tea try with cups and cookies on it. Silence then overcame the room and nobody spoke beyond what was needed to share out the goodies. Darcy did not speak, and William C. seemed to be at a loss for words as to how to entertain the nephew of his patroness in his home. LizE felt like a spark had been extinguished which had flickered between her and Darcy; some little understanding beyond mere politeness. Darcy left not long after finishing his second cookie and without touching his tea. William C. walked him not only to the door, but insisted on seeing him halfway home.

Charlotte sipped her tea for a few minutes then banged it rather suddenly on her saucer. "I think he is in love with you LizE."

"What!" cried LizE sitting up a little in her chair and startling Fergus.

"Will Darcy. I think he is in love with you. I have been trying to account for his calling here, and really I don't think anything would induce either Will or Ned to call here with the way Willy rambles on and fawns over them. I can only think he must love you."

"He came to see the _dog_ LotE!"

"He came to see _you_. Fergus was just the excuse. And he rode with you this morning, and he was all soppy about your performance last night."

"Really Charlotte! No! No! And what about Ned? I think Ned has been far friendlier than Darcy. He has actually been quite a flirt; I quite like him."

"But I think Ned is just that way with everyone, and you are conveniently here."

"Hmm, men and the convenient woman. I had a conversation with Aunt Meg along similar lines. Men! Can't live with them, can't live with them! I really want nothing to do with them."

"Well if you're sure, he is very handsome."

"Will Darcy? Yes I'm sure."

* * *

Tuesday LizE was high in a tree having discovered an interesting vine entwined around it when she was coming home the previous day. It was not a parasitic vine, choking the life of the tree, but there seemed some symbiotic relationship between tree and vine that she was curious about. It was not exactly what she was charged to do at Rosings but felt she could not pass it by either. Plus, the large, clematis-like flowers had quite caught her eye.

"Hello again," said a now familiar voice from below, "are you Rapunzel today up in a tower?"

"Yes, exactly," she called. "Are you bored again with spreadsheets or numbers or schedules today?"

"Yes, exactly," he replied. "Will you come down?"

"No," she called. "I've only just got up and it was quite a climb. I am not bored with _my_ work."

"Fair enough. Goodbye," and he walked on.

* * *

Charlotte could not let the idea go that Will Darcy had fallen in love with her friend. That evening she closely watched the two of them. Catherine had forbidden Ned to steal LizE away to the library so their party was confined to the parlor which made it easier to spy on all parties.

Darcy certainly could not keep his eyes from LizE and spent most of the evening watching her and Ned and Mr. Jinks banter back and forth about a number of topics. At one point Ned commented that Darcy seemed unusually quiet as he was used to a more talkative version of his cousin. Even his aunt complained of their company that evening though Charlotte thought it was because Catherine was not the focal point of the conversation for once. By the end of the night Charlotte could not conclude if Will Darcy was in love with her friend or not.

* * *

A voice called to her in the barns the next day though this time it was Anne. "I've had too much work and though to ride a little this morning—and I brought a friend." LizE heard movement in another area of the barn and could guess as to the friend.

The trio was silent almost the whole ride. LizE stole glances at the couple beside her and wondered about them. If they were illicitly together due to disapproval from Catherine de Bour (her beloved nephew and her hired business manager) LizE wondered why they did not ride off alone rather than with her or at least talk to one another when they had the chance to be together. Anne finally piped up and directed questions to LizE about her family and her work before she and Darcy left her at her camp for the day.

Perhaps they would take some long route back to the barn; obviously they were both private individuals. Anne was petite enough to snug up in Darcy's saddle with him and they could lead Dandelion behind them for some snuggles. LizE then blushed, ashamed at speculating such a thing and returned to her work.

* * *

"LizE!" yelled a voice. She lost her balance, corrected herself but over-compensated and fell, landing with her knees in the stream.

"Oh sweetie," said Ned as he came over. "Help you up?" and he hauled her up a little unceremoniously.

"A mermaid today?" inquired Darcy.

"Yes—I fully intend to try out all the fairy tale roles I can before I leave Rosings," she smiled as she shook water from her hands.

"Can we help you pack up your equipment to get back to the Collinses?" asked Darcy.

"No. I shall just carry on. I will dry out soon enough," she replied wiping her hands on her backside.

"Perhaps Charlotte can pick out some dry clothes for you that we can bring back?" suggested Darcy. LizE looked at him; he sounded sincere and held her gaze.

"Ok." She commed Charlotte to explain and the two men were quick with their commission. Darcy insisted on taking her wet and slightly muddy items back so they discreetly turned their backs while she changed.

* * *

She was singing to herself, the acoustics of the little grove of her base camp on Friday so beautiful that she couldn't help but sing as she took cuttings and then deliberately and meticulously recorded exact location details, information as to other nearby plants and used special equipment to take exacting details of the specific plant.

"It is like a homing beacon; I couldn't help but come locate you," said Darcy.

"Hmmm" said LizE looking up. He was on horseback which made her crane her neck. "Is there a fairy tale equivalent or have I just become a GPS now?"

"Maybe Snow White, all that singing. I recall GEO loved watching that movie repeatedly as a girl because the heroine, like her, was a brunette."

"Does that make you the evil witch, a dwarf or the handsome prince?" teased LizE.

"I believe we both think I am a dwarf, Grumpy." She didn't know what to say to that and he just sat on Austen looking down at her. "Well…I'll leave you to your work." He turned Austen and rode away.

LizE felt like calling him back but had nothing to say. She recalled later, in thinking about the movie, that gruff Grumpy the dwarf was underneath a rather loveable guy.

* * *

Catherine de Bour lamented that her two favorite nephews were to be going soon. LizE had no idea if they were her only nephews. The dinner party that evening had the same flavor of those before the men's visit with Catherine on her throne and dictating most of the conversation. There were no individual side conversations just a long drawn out one about some last trip for all eight of them before Ned and Darcy left.

After dinner they played a new game of Mr. Jinks' which LizE failed to enjoy. There seemed to be tensions in the room she could not figure out. Anne, for once, was talkative and Ned was surly and silent. Catherine was at the height of her dictatorial self. Even Charlotte seemed different, wide-eyed and spending more time looking at all of the players and not paying attention to the game. William C. along was his usual self.

* * *

She worked Saturday. With only four more days herself she had a lot to do and wanted to use every minute available to her. By the early afternoon she found herself wondering that Darcy had not made his appearance yet. It then occurred to her that she anticipated his coming by her camp every day. Perhaps because she was not on horseback today he had not ridden out to see her. His visits had become a pleasant break to her days. Darcy was turning out to be a far different man from the one she had envisioned last fall and the man portrayed by George in his stories of wrong-doing. She felt conflicted, especially when she took a snapshot of dwarf Darcy from just the previous week to the one portrayed by George, the evil CEO Darcy.

She sat down with her back against a tree considering the two portraits and how to reconcile them.

"Wake up Sleeping Beauty."

The shadows told a story of hours past and a tickling on her leg meant she had an ant or two crawling on her. She swatted them off all the while blinking. Darcy stood holding Austen's reigns and looking down at her with a gentle, sweet smile. It made his face look vulnerable and so handsome she gasped.

"Overworked?" he asked kindly.

"I hadn't intended to fall asleep," she said the obvious thing. She swatted at another bug and leaned forward to stand. Darcy let go of Austen's bridle and moved up holding his hands out to pull her up. She was a little dizzy once up so he held onto her shoulders until she nodded.

"Charlotte sent me a comm to go look for you; she was worried."

"Is it that late?"

"Not so late, but Aunt Catherine is having our farewell dinner party tonight, remember, and Charlotte was concerned you had forgotten."

"I did," she looked sheepishly at him.

"If you are Sleeping Beauty today does that mean I get to be the Handsome Prince and kiss you to wake you up?" he asked a little quickly and breathlessly.

She was still breathing quickly from being hauled to her feet. "Perhaps," she looked at him, "or perhaps you are the thorn bush?" and smiled crookedly.

"Perhaps…" he said taking a step to her but Austen decided just then to take a half dozen mincing steps away from them and Darcy dove for the reigns and left his sentence unfinished.

They packed up her equipment and argued as to how to get LizE back to the parsonage. Darcy suggesting they both ride Austen and LizE balking at the idea. She finally relented, though insisting she sit behind (not in front) and wear her backpack with its load of equipment. They spoke not a word to each other, crammed together in Austen's saddle until she slipped down from behind him at the gate of the parsonage and said a small thank you.

He nodded and rode away.

Charlotte came outside as Fergus had set up a torrent of barking.

"I knew he'd find you. Are you sure he's not in love with you?"

"Char, he loves Anne." That news took Charlotte by surprise. LizE had not intended to say anything to Charlotte about the couple but wished to deflect talk from Darcy and herself. She outlined her reasons as they walked back in the house (circled constantly by Fergus) and prepared for another Rosings dinner.


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

It wasn't so much a party as a wake. Catherine wore black and spent the majority of the evening lamenting that her nephews were leaving her all alone. She could not agree to any sort of entertainment and after dinner it was simply a review of all the previous evenings that they had shared and lamentations about how long it would be until she would see them again. It had to be LizE's least favorite dinner at Rosings.

The hustle of church preparation woke LizE the next morning and she and Fergus breakfasted in Charlotte's little room as the Collinses prepared for and then departed for church. She declined the offer to come to services and instead lingered over her breakfast before packing her backpack and setting off for another day of research. She chose an area near to the parsonage which would not require saddling up Chicory; there had been talk of some plans in the afternoon and she wanted to allow for flexibility.

Her search was not fruitful and she was considering moving on when she heard a twig snap. She had been wondering if Darcy would show up and she turned to greet him. Ned could be seen walking slowly up the trail, uncharacteristically wearing a brimmed hat and sunglasses.

She shouted a greeting down to him, and he waved his hand at her and she yelled "I thought you would go to church." He waved again, but then she could see that he wasn't waving so much as slashing his hand across his throat.

He made his slow way up to her, came quite close, and said, "let's sit down," took four steps to a tree and collapsed beneath its shade. LizE came up to him. "Yes I am a little hung over, but Aunt Catherine was at her bulliest last night, so I couldn't help but have a few too many. Come on, sit down. Talk to me. I am done with my little walk; I shall hide out here, with you, while she zips off to church."

LizE was at a loss as to what to say, she fetched a water bottle and passed it over to Ned before she sank down next to him. "I thought I saw your flask out at one point last night, I didn't realize you were drinking so much."

"I can hold my cups fairly well. But I snuck off and re-filled it too. Nasty habit really, but she can drive you to drink sometimes, Aunt Catherine can. She was quite a bully last night, all about family obligations, which just means doing what _she_ wants; and this church and its strictures and…" he took off his sunglasses and rubbed his eyes, "you don't want to hear me complaining." Despite everything his jolliness still shone through the weariness he was feeling and expressing.

"I thought you might be Darcy. He's been stopping by my day camps most days and seeing what I am up to," said LizE grasping at the first topic in an attempt to make some sort of conversation.

"He won't be stopping by today though. He is off with Anne again on their secret mission while Aunt Catherine is in church," his eyes were positively twinkling, not revealing what she felt he must know.

"Oh," she felt like Ned had slapped her somehow. With all of her explanations to Charlotte yesterday evening about Darcy and Anne she realized she had not really believed it, like the tales she told Fancy about Chaz not really loving Juno. Obviously Ned knew more, a lot more, about Darcy and Anne's relationship, and was hinting about their escaping together again while the cat, Aunt Catherine was away at church. The mice playing while the cat was away at church, did that make them church mice? She didn't know if he was trying to entice her to ask questions, but she found she did not want to pursue the subject.

"Are you to really leave tomorrow?" she asked.

"Yes if Will doesn't put it off. I am a whimsical man and at his disposal. Though we both have business to attend to, I am simply a middle level manager and do not really have to hurry away. It is W.H.G. Darcy, CEO, that is always wanted somewhere by somebody. If he puts it off I can stay. I am at his disposal, as I said. Though I need to work, look at these shabby clothes." She looked at what he was wearing and could find anything the matter with them, no wear and tear, nor did they look at all out of date, fashion-wise.

"You look fine," she punched him in the shoulder. "Darcy takes a lot of pleasure in having choices and arranging things. He certainly enjoys the power of doing what he likes."

"Yes, but I think most of us are self-directed to do what we like. He just, perhaps, has a nicer time when he wants to do what he wants to do, because of all the money. I am the poor cousin in the family, you know. I have to work hard for _my_ money. Darcy just breaths out and his breath creates it," there was a bitter tone to his voice.

"Have you never asked him for a job? Or considered working for your aunt?" she looked intently at him.

"No, I may not have many morals, but I earn my own keep in my own way. Even if I lie, cheat and steal at my job." He sat and stared back down the path he had just walked up. She waited for him to talk more about his occupation, but he turned to her and looked directly at her. "LizE, there's someone. I…I want to apologize. I have been a bit of a flirt all week, and I think I have been unfair to you but I need to tell you that there's someone and we've been together for many years." His eyes were sad now; no jolly Santa Claus looked at her. "It just is complicated too."

"I am sorry," and she meant it, though she was surprised by his confession. It was turning into quite a heavy and complicated conversation and she was not sure how she felt about it. "I hope it works out, gets uncomplicated." She put her hand on his shoulder. He patted it.

"I am sorry too. These relationship things, be they family or friend or lover: they are all complicated. I am happy to have Darcy though. He's been a brother to me, taken care of me (even if he is younger), always been there for me. So if he wants to order me around a bit, I let him."

"Well if you get tired of being ordered around, he can still order GEO around instead," she soothed.

"Oh, you've heard of GEO have you?" his eyes were smiling again.

"Yes, I heard she is enjoying her time overseas and perhaps not focusing on her studies as much as she should." Ned looked confused at her statement, almost a little hurt. Liz hurried on, "um, don't worry, I haven't heard anything bad; she is a good friend to some women I know, Caro Van Hale and Lois Hurst. Lois' brother is a good friend of Darcy's."

"I know Caro, of course. And Chaz Bingley is the good friend. Will does his best with him."

"What do you mean?"

"Only that Chaz is even more whimsical than I am and forever getting into scrapes. Will takes a great deal of care of him."

"Yes, I have noticed."

"He was telling me on the drive up here about another scrape that he got Chaz out of and how Bingley will now be indebted to him for it." He blew out a deep breath, "I am just guessing it was Chaz, Will did not name actual names."

"What is it you mean?"

"I am sure he does not mean for it to get around at all, he is a discreet fellow," he leaned his head down to look at her.

"I won't tell a soul."

He settled back against the tree. "And remember that I have no real reason to suppose it _is_ Chaz. He only told me that he congratulated himself on having saved a friend from a difficult relationship; but as I said he did not say the name or give details. I am simply guessing it to be Chaz because he is that sort of guy who gets into those sorts of messes and that he and Will have been together these past few months."

"Did Darcy say why he interfered?"

"He only said that he had a friend who was dating a woman who was cold, passionless and distant. There was an incident with some other man, at a party. So obviously she wasn't all cold-hearted."

"How did he separate Chaz from his girlfriend?"

"Will didn't say anything else," said Ned smiling. "He only told me what I have said."

LizE said nothing else and stared back down the long path that led both to Rosings House and the parsonage. Ned sat and watched her and finally bumped her with his shoulder. "Why so thoughtful?"

"I am thinking of what you told me. Your cousin's actions do not sit well with me. Why did he get to be the judge in this case?"

"You think he was being meddlesome?"

"I do not see what right he has to judge why a friend might be happy, what constitutes that happiness or with whom he can be happy! And to take action to see that his judgment be carried out; his decision be willed into being if he feels the outcome does not suit some grand plan…" she recollected herself as Ned looked at her with an odd, concerned look, "however, as we do not know the details, it is not fair to condemn him. I suppose there was not a lot of love between the couple?"

"Not a bad guess, but if so, then all of Will's actions are relegated to 'trivial,' which is not like him."

"I suppose." Her mind raced for a change of subject, but Ned offered one.

"Aunt Catherine wants to take us all to Muir Woods today, are you coming? You looked quite busy as I was coming up the path."

"No, I am not going to make it. I need to finish up here: I have a lot to do," she lied.

Ned nodded and then pushed himself up and placed his sunglasses back on his nose. "I should be able to make it back before Aunt Catherine realizes I am gone." He held out his hand. "Thank you for listening to my rambles."

She stood up and shook his hand. "Ciao," she replied.

He scratched his beard, doffed his cap and smiled at her before turning and heading back down the hill towards Rosings House. LizE watched him go. He did not turn around. She kept it together until he was just out of sight and she was assured he was not returning. She threw her equipment in her backpack and tucked it under a bush and then turned to run from that place as though it had been tainted with the message she had heard there. She could understand why people say don't shoot the messenger. To lash out at the messenger, as she had wanted to do to Ned, or the place where news was delivered was so human.

Darcy had been the cause of all that Juno had suffered; and continued to suffer. All those kinder suppositions she had been entertaining for the past week about him vanished. He was just the jerk she had envisioned all along. Those tears Juno had shed were because of him. He could not have such a powerful influence over two such friends: Ned had immediately guessed that the friend mentioned was Chaz and LizE was sure Ned was right. LizE had supposed that Darcy had some part in the whole separating of Chaz and Juno back in November, but had assumed it was largely due to Lois and Caro. She thought of the Darcy of last week and a bubble broke up from her and she began sobbing as she continued her run. She could not understand why he would do such a thing; was he really such a snob, such a proud jerk that he could no more see his friend involved with a lowly scientist than he, Will Darcy, could imagine himself involved with one. One like Elizabeth Frances Ben. She cried until she reached that magnificent old scrub oak and she threw her arms around it and wept.

* * *

A/N: I'll be on vacation next week: but I will post Chapter 34 before I go.


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

The 150 year old oak spread its gnarled craggy limbs over her covered by irregular tufts of leaves, and protected her while she cried. She came back to consciousness as an inky black squirrel scolded her from its heights as if to warn her about something (probably Will Darcy). LizE peeled her body from its shape and turned to lean back on the wide trunk of the scrub oak.

She pulled up all the recent comms from Juno since she had left at the beginning of the year as a way of further creating resentment against Darcy. In all of them, Juno had no actual complaint that was never her way. Juno never revived past grievances or discussed current issues or problems in her life, but in the way she wrote and between the lines of the comms, Juno was not herself. Her personality was clouded and hooded. For all that she professed to be focusing on work she discussed it with little spirit. And there nothing else of interest mentioned in her comms. Not Aunt Meg or Uncle Ezra, or the cousins, Craig, Julia or B.C., not even little Snow were mentioned, before this, so often doted on. Juno had lost her spark for life and LizE burst out in another round of tears at thoughts of how much Juno continued to be effected by Will Darcy's interference.

The tears stopped and she thought again on the details that Ned had shared. LizE's heartache turned to anger as she thought of Darcy congratulating himself about his saving Chaz from the cold and aloof Juno, (his boast to Ned), and the consequence of that: the hollow shell that Juno was today. LizE was pleased Darcy was leaving the next day and that she would see Juno in less than a week.

She did think with sadness of saying goodbye to Ned especially in light of his recent revelations. LizE hoped that he and his girlfriend could sort things out. The situation he had so sparsely painted did not sound easy or that there would ever be any eventual fix to it. She was also wistful to be leaving Anne whose company she had enjoyed, a quiet companion during what could be noisy gatherings at Rosings. LizE could not understand what was going on between her and Darcy but tried to think of Charlotte and be comfortable with her friends making their own choices in the world.

She was leaning hard against the old tree giving over days, weeks, and months of frustration when she heard her name called and she slumped forward, her body peeling itself off of the dark, rough bark. LizE straightened herself and stood ramrod straight her hands clenched in fists as he approached her with questions about her intention to skip the Muir Woods trip and wishing for her to change her mind. She answered coldly that "work intruded."

She was a little elevated, standing on an exposed root. Darcy was on a slope below and for once they were about at eye level. Austen stood at his side, Darcy holding the horse's reigns in a tightly closed fist. They remained like that, in silence, and then he turned to go and paced about ten meters away, Austen patiently following him before he turned back and approached her again.

"I…I love you," he said. "I have to tell you how much, how deeply, I love you."

LizE's posture softened. She fell back against the tree, glad it was there to catch her, could feel the rough bark against her palms as they splayed out. She stared out at some distant point beyond Darcy without being able to say anything. Darcy took that as encouragement and spoke of his feelings for her, of his love for her from almost the very beginnings of his days in Meryton and of their meeting at the Netherfield Institute. He mentioned other concerns besides his very tender feelings for her. It had taken him a long time to say anything because he had been very aware that they came from different worlds: she from science, he from business which had little overlap. He also had to be careful, in his important role as Chairman and CEO of Darcy Rail, to be wary of gold-diggers who came in many disguises. He made no bones about coming from a background of wealth and privilege, that his lifestyle was very different to hers, from her firmly working middle class one. LizE held onto her tree taking in all Darcy had to say. She could only scan his face in astonishment as he spoke, her hands and back to her tree and the only real thing to her.

At first there was a flutter of something at someone loving her, at being so valued, so treasured that a man would stand before her and talk about how cherished and loved she was. She may be loved by her distant father and loved by her over-bearing, interfering mother but she was both loved and valued by her sister Juno. It was a fine distinction, but was why she cared for her sister so much.

She realized that was what had been lacking with George, and then suddenly she was angry. Angry with Darcy because of George Wickham but angry because Darcy was not really valuing her for herself "warts and all: if he did truly love her he would not have been compelled to reiterate all her faults and discuss his hesitations and concerns. Darkness inside her made chest tight, her throat constrict, and she narrowed her eyes as she watched him.

Darcy concluded his speech by saying his feelings were too strong to be hidden any longer and she watched him with her veiled eyes kneel awkwardly (with Austen's reigns held loosely in his hand) to ask "Elizabeth Frances Ben will you marry me."

She felt stiff and could somehow see the two of them (threesome if Austen was to be accounted for) as if she was having an out-of-body experience. She ran a hand on the rough bark supporting her trying to awaken something inside her and rekindle a flame of herself. For the first time she could truly see the man of business in the William Darcy before her as he had deftly and methodically outlined all his points. Gone was any of the sweetness of their previous encounters from the week before. LizE wondered if this was like a business deal to him; some venture that needed closing, a persuasive speech, a few smiles and a handshake to close and the deal was done. Was she to be some ornamental business wife? It was truly the CEO of Darcy Rail before her, confident, even swaggering (in his manner, not his body as he was currently on one knee). He seemed secure in the outcome of this current business venture. It exasperated her further which seemed to be the spark she needed to dispel the darkness and allow her to finally move. She pushed herself up from the tree trunk as her cheeks flushed.

"One thing I have learned about business ventures, courtesy of Charles A. Bingley, is to pay attention to the T&amp;Cs—terms and conditions. I am afraid I cannot even thank you for the offer as I fear the T&amp;Cs would be too harsh. I do not mean to cause you any pain and hope you get over it quickly but I must refuse. All those hesitant feelings you mentioned should help you get over this whole affair in a short period of time."

Will Darcy, in his vulnerable position at her feet, went pale with surprise, then resentment and then his face became completely unreadable and he turned away from her, ostensibly to look down as he put his hands out to push himself back up. They were dark minutes before he spoke.

"This, _this_ is all you will say to me? Why such an answer Ms. Ben? Why such a rejection?"

"Why such an offer Mr. Darcy? Why? What sort of man proposes to a woman by insulting her? You tell me? You chose to tell me your love for me goes against your nature. You said that you struggled with your will and reason long and hard before saying anything to me. But I have my reasons, you know I do. How could I ever love a man who has ruined the happiness and caused such despair in my sister?"

A flicker of emotion changed the color of his cheeks but Austen stomped his back feet. Darcy did not interrupt.

"I have every reason to hate you. No motive can excuse the misery you have brought upon Juno, the tears she has shed, the gossip she has had to endure while the neighborhood laughed at the folly of falling in love, hard, for the first time with a transient, perhaps unstable or perhaps just a whimsical man."

Austen snorted just then but Darcy appeared to have not heard a word or be concerned by her speech. His face, his stiff shoulders, his gaze, were all directed at her yet without catching her eyes it all spoke to his skepticism.

"Do you deny it?" she almost screamed.

He looked down at the hand holding the reigns as if his fingernails suddenly needed attention. "No, I will not deny that I did everything I could to separate Chaz and your sister. Towards him I have been kinder than towards myself."

She stared at man and horse but he did not look up. "I have other reasons for my dislike. Your character was revealed to me by George Wickham many months ago. What can you say about that? How can you possibly defend yourself from such cruelty towards him?"

"You are rather wrapped up in that man's affairs," said Darcy shuffling his feet.

"Knowing all the hardships and misfortunes he has suffered in life how can I help but be interested in his affairs!" She threw her arms in the air.

"His misfortunes!" Darcy looked up at her intently with a sneer on his lips. "His great misfortunes…"

"And of your infliction!" she took a step towards him. "You have struck him down in life, stripped him of his birthright, and reduced him to his current unhappy state in life so he can only make a living by putting his own life on the line. In my book you have deprived him of money, his birthright, and his station in life, but even more, you have stripped away his very nature as I am sure all that he has suffered has surely changed him, made him a sad, morose man where he was once far happier. Yet you only seem to have contempt for all this!"

"Is this really how you think of me? My faults are rather serious," and he closed the gap between them. "But perhaps you might have thought differently, you might feel differently about my proposal if I had presented it in a different manner. If I had not been so honest. But I pride myself on my _honest_ scruples to never disguise my inclinations of reason or of reflection. I am not ashamed of what I felt; they are reasonable and just feelings."

LizE took in a deep breath. She made sure to capture his gaze, even if she had to look up at him. "Mr. Darcy, my mother, Frances Ben (you know, from _my_ class of life, that _working middle class_) is always insistent we use good manners. Now manners aren't how you hold a tea cup or curtsey to a King; it's how you treat people as you want to be treated. Golden Rules sort of stuff. Anyways, Fancy often said that people who insist on being brutally _honest_ often just want to be _brutal_. They have a piece to say and don't care if they hurt others in the process. They justify the wounds they inflict by labeling it _honesty_." She saw him start at this. "From the beginning of our acquaintance your behavior has struck me as that of an unfeeling man without regard to others, conceited, proud, arrogant and the last man on earth I would ever marry."

Austen stomped his back feet again and pulled hard, Darcy was pulled a step away. "You have said enough, Ms. Ben. I understand you and am ashamed now of my own feelings. I will wish you good day." He made a small bow with his head and was mounted on Austen's back in a flash and riding hard, both man and mount eager to be galloping from the shelter of the contorted, old, oak tree, and from LizE's presence.

She watched them go until assured that he would not return before her knees sank on a patch of grass and she cried, weeping bitterly. Finally she pushed herself back up to lean against the tree in an attempt to temper her astonishment. Will Darcy had been in love with her!

LizE could only feel as if her brain was in a fog; she could not shake out of a state of unreality. That Will Darcy had loved her for so long; that he had chosen to declare himself by asking her to marry him. All this in light of her knowledge that he had separated Chaz and Juno and in light of all the objections he had detailed in his proposal. They had bantered about fairy tales all week and she still felt lost in one, only she also thought of those original Grimm stories: some of those had rather gory, morbid endings. The scullery maid did not always end up with a happy ending.

The shadows lengthened and she was loath to go fetch her pack from her camp and return to the parsonage. She was not sure how long the expedition to Muir Woods was supposed to last and could only hope it was especially long since it was purportedly Darcy and Ned's last special event with their Aunt Catherine. She thought to stay out late until she recalled Charlotte sending Darcy for her just the day before and in an effort to prevent that and any awkward explanations she made her way home. Fergus was happy to have her and they dined together on sandwiches in Charlotte's parlor until she heard the Collinses return and she ran to her bedroom to avoid the married couple.

* * *

A/N: I am off on a week's vacation, so no more posting until mid-August.


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35

A lamp was needed to dress by since the sun was still just peeking over the hills. LizE stole out the front door and let herself onto the Rosings property through the front gate; she wanted to retrieve her pack but wished to avoid any of the Rosings family.

It was just light enough to see as she gingerly made her way up the driveway and then headed away from the house. It was cool and she shivered a bit but took in the change of scenery, illuminated differently by the first light of the early morning. Her trip went quickly and her equipment was where she left it, a shine of dew on the backpack but otherwise all okay and accounted for. She turned and headed back to the parsonage taking some lesser-used trails just in case Will Darcy might choose one last ramble before heading south.

She could see the fence, though not the house, when she heard him call her name. She turned to look, not seeing anyone. He called again and she noticed he was further down the fence along a small path. His posture spoke of a man in control of himself and she realized she could not run if she wished because he was between her and home. LizE could not fathom what he wished to say to her; she marched down the almost invisible path until she was a meter away.

He stood stiffly, his face unreadable, his posture that of the business man that she had met and loathed in the fall. "I had hoped to meet you before I left. Will you honor me by reviewing this?" And he held up a folded piece of paper. She looked at it with surprise. She could not recall the last time she had seen loose paper, a letter. Her father had a half dozen treasured old letters from ancestors, but paper had not been used in her or her father's lifetime to communicate. Her mind was a whirlwind as to what was on the paper; curiosity won out and she took it. He bowed, keeping his eyes all the time on the ground and then disappeared.

The letter was actually three sheets of mismatched paper, two plain and one with lines on it covered with a scrawling writing. Apparently somewhere in all that schooling of hisWill Darcy, future CEO, had been taught joined-up writing and not just printing as most schoolkids. Given the mismatched paper and the date of yesterday, she had to image he had ransacked Rosings House looking for paper and pen to compose a letter. But why? Why such an endeavor? Why not comm her like everyone else? The truth, she had to admit to herself, was that she would not have read any comms from him and most likely would have deleted the comm upon receipt of such a missive from him no matter how much he might plead in the first line for her to read it.

LizE turned back into Rosings Park and found yet another tree to perch beneath and began to read.

"Have no fear that I will repeat any offer or bring up any mention of feelings which were so disgusting to you. I do not intend to harm you nor do I intend to humble myself by ever repeating them. For both our sakes, let us forget them and that the event ever happened. I write to you in such an odd way as my sense of justice demands it. You accused me yesterday of two different offenses which I consider of very different magnitude. The first was that regardless of how either felt I separated Chaz from your sister. The second is that I had ruined, that I had deprived, George Wickham of all that was his due to him from me, my family and the Darcy Rail Company. Compared to ruining a man's entire livelihood, depriving him of his birthright and his future, separating two people who had only known each other a few weeks can have no comparison.

"The vehemence with which you argued your points was excessive and you have certainly laid a great deal of blame at my feet. My sense of justice requires that I account for my actions. I will apologize just this once if I say anything that offends you because of my need to defend my actions but I must speak my piece.

"Chaz was smitten with your sister. That much was clear quite as soon as we moved to Meryton. By the day of the party to celebrate his investments at the Netherfield Institute, it was obvious to all of us in the house that this was more than a mere flirtation. I had seen him in love before but never to such an extent. And, by that information given to me when Mr. Lucas stopped us while you and I were talking, I also realized some folks in town even thought them serious enough to consider marriage or some other equivalent (even on so short an acquaintance). All this surprised me because your sister had not struck me as being equally as interested in my friend. I realized I knew little about her and how she felt. Sure, she and I (and you) had been quarantined under the same roof, but she had been ill, and those first dinners at the house were in the early days. My impression of Juno had been of a woman quite devoted to her job and her career and to not much else. I remember Chaz complaining that she kept him to a clock for lunches when they were both at the Netherfield Institute on the same days. To me, this is not the symptom of a woman in love; she even cancelled a number of them.

"But that evening I observed the two of them; while Juno seemed friendly enough she did not appear to return Chaz' affection and interest with any display of feelings that equaled his. Her face and manner were always composed. She seemed a friendly work colleague, not a lover. There were a few other young women that night, especially a Ms. Long, who seemed far more interested in Chaz than your sister. This was my objective observation at the time; I did not set out to find these conclusions so that I might justify myself.

"I demonstrated to him my points and also pointed out the rather untamed, outlandish middle class behavior of your family. Your mother who, pardon me, never seems to hold her tongue, the twins who seem to have no sense of their power to destroy, and your younger sisters who are always running wild. Your family, forgive me, is an odd and eccentric one. But none of these arguments were valid to Chaz until I related what I overheard after the power outage. I had worked hard to step in and fill in all the little gaps a host needs to handle (and which Chaz forgot, as is so like him). After talking to you and concluding my observation of your sister and ensuring that your twin siblings had what they needed for their set-up, I sought out a small room for some solitude and reflection about my friend. Contrary to what you may think, I lay down on a couch and watched the stars outside as I pondered my friend's situation. When the lights went out I still did not move and decided, for once, to let the others handle it. I was joined by someone but did not know who until later; I was afraid I would spook the newcomer by rising up out of the dark. A third person joined us, his comm lighting his way, and it was then that I recognized your sister's voice as she greeted the man. Imagine my surprise when they kissed and embraced. The man said something about regretting being 'distant all week' and 'playing the fool' when he would rather have been close to Juno. There was silence then where I imagine they kissed again. He then told her about the break-in at the Institute and asked her to help and they departed.

"I had a heavy and uneasy talk ahead of me to tell my friend about his girlfriend two-timing him. I tried, that next morning, to simply discourage him from seeing her by persuading him she did not care that much for him but he was so much in love with her that he felt he had enough love for both of them. It was then that I shared what I overheard. He was devastated and it took me many weeks of careful attention to help him recover from such a blow. I enlisted the help of Caro and Lois in persuading him from further pursuit of your sister. I found that we were of like minds. I knew that Juno was in Los Angeles beginning in January, but I kept that from him, and for that I admit some qualms. Caro shared that with me that knowledge, but I felt that Chaz should be spared that tidbit. His devastation over her betrayal had been so great yet there still remains to this day an abiding love for Juno that had he the information she was a short drive away, he might not have been able to stay away and not reopen those wounds I worked so hard to heal. On this subject I have nothing more to say.

"On the far weightier subject of George Wickham I can only refute your accusations by laying out our entire connection. I have known George since we were boys. My father was CEO of Darcy Rail before me. George's father had the same position that Caro Van Hale has now: COO. George's father did his job fairly well but was often distracted by a sickly wife who spent time in and out of various hospitals, clinics and nursing homes. My father felt sorry for George and took him under his wing, doting on him to an extent like an indulgent grandson, even if he and I are only a year apart. I did not know the circumstances of Mrs. Wickham's illnesses until recently.

"It was in our teenaged years that I saw the true nature of George appear, a young man always eager for money, who made friends with a cross-section of people few of us ever wish to meet if it meant that there was a payout at the end. What began with street drugs and pharmaceutics grew into trafficking in body parts. Forgive me if I shock you. I realize you have led a rather sheltered life in Meryton. I had pleaded with my father not to send George to Europe with me but he did which allowed George to expand his contacts overseas. I believe with the Darcy Rail business (and even de Bour Shipping) that George built himself a niche in the buying and selling of body parts. I tried to keep an eye on him in college but my beloved father died and I had to return home. It was always assumed by both my father and his that George would assume his father's place in the company but I feared for his assuming too much control. But when Edward Wickham died in a rail accident (under suspicious circumstances), George came to me to say he wanted nothing to do with Darcy Rail but thought a cash-out would be fair. He agreed to $12 million and I thought I was done with him.

"Four years later after Darcy Rail had its best years in over twenty years I heard from Wickham again. He felt he had been cheated out of his portion of the company. You cannot fault me for sending him out the door. I hoped that would be the last. Some of the implications of his coming to see me were that he had either spent or gambled his money, or paid off his n'er-do-well colleagues. You cannot blame me for not giving him any more money. I now mention something that I wish to have always forgotten, and swear you to secrecy. By writing this by hand I know that I leave no electronic trail I need worry about, but I ask that you also destroy this letter. My sister GEO is ten years my junior and was often around when George and I were growing up. Her memories of George were of a happy, entertaining man, not understanding his vicious and ugly side. He was a willing companion when she was lonely. There was a small circle of cousins, but our parents often did not get along so we were sometimes forbidden to see each other. My mother had died of the Luxor virus like so many others when GEO was a toddler.

"Last summer, between high school and Uni, George was able to contact her and persuade her to have an affair. She felt she was in love and they ran away together. What he did, however, was use her body as an organ donation device. GEO no longer has her left kidney, left lung, or left arm. You see, the left arm has the F.I.D. band. I know now a lot more about what the government uses the F.I.D. band for and how closely they track people. The trafficking in human body parts sounded cruel, but I vaguely imaged that they removed an organ and sent the person on their merry way (perhaps with a cheap synthetic organ as a replacement) but I did not know that it was noted on the F.I.D. But without removing the F.I.D., removing the arm or killing the person, the trafficker cannot harvest the organs. George was not up to murder, he stopped short of that. He gave me back my sister with an artificial kidney, an artificial lung and no left arm.

"You know what society thinks about cyborgs. You know what society thinks about human body parts trafficking, what society thinks about people who would sell body parts for extra cash, so I hired on the black market the absolute best plastic surgeons and AI people that money could buy to restore my sister to a semblance of health, false health.

"She is a shell of her former self, emotionally. She is not the cheery and so often cheeky, young lady she used to be. She is barely passing any of her Uni courses and the trip home for Thanksgiving and Christmas, while doing her some good, has not restored her health and outlook on life. I fear she may never finish Uni and is at such a critical point in her life, at the apex of adulthood, that I wonder what will happen to her. She was destined to take on a role at Darcy Rail, but I fear she may never be fit to do that. My one consolation is her recent creative outlet in watercolors. She is able to paint with both arms, her 'real' and her cyborg arm and it has been the one thing that keeps her going.

"The above, LizE, has been a faithful account of every way George and I have been involved and if you do not outright dismiss it, I hope you will recant your accusations of cruelty to George Wickham. I do not know what he has said to you or the degree of your relationship and given that you could not know about his background as you are not a suspicious person by nature. If you wonder why this letter and why I did not speak up yesterday? It was because I was not in control of myself. If you insist on fact-checking you can ask Ned, he knows the truth about GEO, it was with his help, his contacts, that we were able to patch her up and restore her to health. Should you do so, please be sure to use secure comms.

Adieu, William Henri Gerard Darcy


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36

LizE did not know what to expect from the letter if it was not a renewal of Will Darcy's offers. It was entirely in his character to do such a thing, stick to his guns and argue his point. She rode a rollercoaster of emotions as she eagerly read through the contents of the letter, experiencing so many disparate ones within moments of each other that she could not name them all at the end; she was only sure that she was exhausted.

When she began reading she had been amazed that he felt he had any need to apologize or had to give her any sort of explanation for the wrongs she had thrown at his feet. LizE felt he could not give any sort of adequate explanation as to his behavior in either case when she expected him to only feel shame. She admitted to curiosity and disbelief as she unfolded the first sheet and began to read.

That he should begin with Juno meant she needed to understand and see everything and she could not help but let her eyes dart all over the page as if turning to the end of a murder mystery to find out whodunit because she was impatient to sit and sort through the clues with the detective. The newness of a letter added to her impatience as she was used to being restricted to what text would fit on a comm screen, but with his letter she could turn pages over, let her eyes glance all over and it added to her overall feelings of confusion.

Most of what he had to say 'in his defense' about Juno and Chaz made her angry. His dismissal that separating two people who had only known each other for a month and could not compare to the situation with George had no merit for her. It stung. Apparently only quantity was a measurement in Will Darcy's spreadsheets, how he accounted for anything. And yet, quantity was no measurement of professed love in his own case. A case where he had felt, as his first declaration of love, to not ask her for a simple date, but to ask her to marry him.

She was furious that Darcy could base the reasoning of separating two lovers from each other on fifteen minutes of observation. Equally maddening was his first point that Juno was so calm in temperament and attitude, so focused on her work, and appeared so unloving towards his friend that he had felt the need to observe her in the first place. LizE was enraged about the unfairness of his judgment of Juno as a "friendly work colleague" but nothing more when she had been burning up with love for Chaz underneath and that one sentence incensed her to an extreme as no other had. That he judged the drunken lust of Edi Long as more important than that of Juno's calm devotion was so unfair that she threw the letter to the ground only to snatch it back up again a few seconds later.

She shed tears reading about Chaz's abiding and deep love for her sister; it pained her anew and made the whole incident raw again to read how much he had loved her back. LizE's chest ached to think of all the months of separation, of the wounds (as Will Darcy himself had described) they both had to bandage and salve and attempt to heal. And his complete misunderstanding of the situation with Alex Morris! To have so misread that situation! Juno had cried so many tears over that two minutes in the dark. If she was to know that Darcy had been there and overheard and thought her a willing lover to Alex, how mortified Juno would be. Yet Darcy expressed no regret for having split up his friend and his girlfriend. He had so misinterpreted the situation she did not know how to respond and she felt like marching straight to Rosings House to tell all. She was not sure when he and his cousin were due to depart or what she would say. Her eyes darted to the final point about his efforts to keep Chaz from knowing that Juno had been in Los Angeles, and then her anger faded as she felt like it was a lost cause somehow. How difficult to read that even months later Chaz still cared so much for Juno; she had to set aside the letter and walk to clear her thoughts and her mood.

LizE was less distracted in reading about George though her rollercoaster of feelings were more acute and painful and more difficult to define as she read Will's account of their shared history. She ran the gamut of astonishment, apprehension and even horror as she wound through the narrative. The background story that Darcy painted was so similar to what George had shared. And she was horrified by that portrait that he painted of Wickham, she said aloud "this cannot be" and "this is not the person I know," and shoved the letter in a pocket vowing to throw it away. She got up and moved away from her reading spot. Minutes later she brought the letter back out, smoothing out the wrinkles and alighting under a different tree to continue to read.

Darcy's account mortified her. She shrank into herself with every sentence as she read about his shared experiences with George Wickham. She could recall what George had said to her and had to agree that the accounts were the same. The devoted generosity of Darcy's father to George; being sent to school together in Europe, they differed only in the account of the business. George had said Darcy threw him out without any compensation, no job, nothing to benefit for his father's years of hard work; George had to make his own way in the world. Darcy indicated he gave George $12 million dollars and that George had wanted nothing to do with the company. She stopped reading to consider that disparity. If the stories are equal but differ so wildly on one point, who to believe, but on such a point!

She tried to be impartial and weigh what she knew about both men. To deliberate on each sentence or statement and ask how probable? How true? So far what both said was exactly that, only what they claimed, nothing had been backed up with proofs, it was talk, nothing more. Yet it was difficult to not give some credit to Darcy when she reflected and compared the two men's stories. Every ine made her more mixed up about the two men. She had not thought it possible that anything in his letter could exonerate Darcy and make her change her opinion. That they ran in parallel lines and diverged at that one key point was telling to her. LizE found herself considering that he might be blameless in the affair. That Darcy would speak so horribly about another person shocked her (though he had forewarned her). She could herself tease and push boundaries but she was never one to dig up dead bodies, open locked closets. LizE was not sure she could ever speak so ill of someone and thanked her parents again for raising her in a place where she never encountered such a person as the George Wickham Darcy painted in his letter.

LizE was shocked by the extravagance of the portrayl of George and realized she knew little about him before he had come to Meryton. She tried to think of some positive trait, some integrity or goodness that stood out but could recall nothing. He was charming and handsome and definitely a self-promoter as she thought back at all the times they had spent together; the conversations had been about him and his accomplishments. Weren't there fairy stories and novels full of such men? Was such a type not a well-discussed archetype in stories? She felt disgusted with herself for falling so under his influence; a man with charm and very effective social powers, but nothing more to offer.

In contemplating her first meeting with George, she now realized he was sounding her out about Will Darcy and his position in the neighborhood and was likely figuring out how to craft his own story to tell to the Meryton neighborhood. And all of his claims that evening had not been followed through or had rung hollow. He said he had no fear of seeing Will Darcy but had avoided the Netherfield Institute party (having volunteered for guard duty). He said he would never besmirch the Darcy name but the story about his "grievances" was bandied about as soon as Will left. He promised to never expose the son as he had loved the father, yet he had done just that with his evil tales of grievances.

LizE considered his attention to the two King women and could not wonder if he was after money or body parts or was he, perhaps, in some ugly scenario, attempting to get the older Ms. King to use her daughter as an organ donation vehicle. Luna had said they were happy in Meryton but were suddenly leaving, what had upset the family into leaving? And why had he ever paid any attention to her? Was she of a reasonably pretty face that he expected her to be flattered by his attention until he found another outlet? Did he consider the Ben estate and think there was some money to be had (only to find there was none)?

She thought of Will Darcy and the history of their acquaintance. Her first thought was of the labels she immediately placed, conceited and proud; yet the time she had spent with him recently had begun to create new labels in her mind and their recent intimacy made her realize that it spoke of a solid character that was not immoral, unprincipled or unjust. People esteemed him, Bingley did, how much had Ned praised him just yesterday? Darcy often spoke lovingly about his sister. How could he, as CEO, have done what George asserted without the shareholders knowing about it (throwing George out) if he was paid off it had to have been reported in some way in this day and age of accounting and spreadsheets and stockholders.

She sank down on her knees when she read his warning about destroying the letter and swearing her to secrecy. Her eyes read words, but it was as if her mind could not understand the meaning. As if Darcy was suddenly writing in a language she did not know. What he said about GEO was so difficult for her to process, so unbelievable, so unaccountable, so unthinkable. So much had happened to GEO: betrayal, loss, pain, the struggles she must have suffered with what happened to her physically, having to deal with the black market to cover it up, and the daily struggles of living with the choices she and Will (and even Ned) had to make for her. LizE thought she would be sick when she finished her stomach hurt so much. Like that one last untapped resource, the universe, it was unfathomable to LizE to consider what GEO had gone through.

She was ashamed of herself. She had been wrong about both men. Blind, partial, prejudiced, absurd. And proud. She thought "I, like Darcy, have my pride. I have been so proud of my own judgment of other people, it never occurred to me I could be so wrong." She had been so tickled with the preference and flattery from George and put off by Darcy's distance, unfriendly manner and natural detachment. "How despicably have I acted," she thought. "I have prided myself on my judgment and my abilities. I delighted in being so disdainful of Will Darcy; it stroked my vanity, my ego. I would not listen when Juno argued for reason. Had I been in love, I could not have been more blind. But it is vanity that has been my downfall. I was offended by the distance of the one and my ego was stroked by the attentions of the other. I courted prejudice and drove away any reason or sense where Darcy was concerned. It is an ugly portrait of Elizabeth Frances Ben."

She re-read what he had to say about Juno and was able to give it more merit. She considered the short lunches Juno granted her when LizE first started at the Netherfield Institute when she wished for longer ones and a little more guidance from her big sister as she was just beginning her working career. And Juno had been trying to appear aloof and not interested in Chaz to any outside observers so as to not excite any (or too many) of the town's gossips. Juno really was such a contrast, for her sister felt things so deeply, yet outwardly displayed so little. Still waters run deep as the saying went. LizE quibbled with his characterization of her odd family, it was all she knew. The high schoolers were perhaps wild, but teenagers were often carefree, and Mark and Mara could perhaps tone down their destructive tendencies a bit, but it would mean giving over their natural curiosity. LizE was still incensed with his misreading of the situation with Alex Morris and had no idea how to respond back to him to set Darcy straight about those facts. Fancy was just being Fancy Ben, and LizE would never apologize for her mother, even if she might cringe at the constant, probing personal questions.

A barking furball was waiting at the Rosings gate as she let herself out and ran happy circles around her as she crossed the road. Her cousin came to the door to scold the puppy for escaping and to inform LizE (and scold her too) that she had missed saying goodbye to the esteemed nephews of his patroness, who had stopped by on their way out of town. LizE attempted to show some concern about missing them, but William C. rambled on about how mournful Catherine de Bour was likely to feel at their loss and said he was, even then, preparing some wonderful compliments to console her. He called out to Charlotte to hurry and the pair departed to Rosings to bring relief, focused only on their task. LizE and Fergus entered the house, LizE thinking only of the letter in her pocket.


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37

William C. obtained what he wished: he consoled his patroness and obtained an invitation to dinner.

LizE walked into the blue room and could see Catherine de Bour on her throne with Mr. Jinks at her feet, apparently giving her a manicure, and contemplated what the great lady's reaction would be if she had said yes to Darcy's proposal. She was lost in thought at the idea and watched Mr. Jinks at his task while she wondered what level of umbrage or outrage would have invoked if Will Darcy had said anything.

Anne was sitting next to her employer and LizE realized she had not considered her since his proposal. If Will Darcy loved LizE, did that mean he no longer loved Anne? Did he ever love Anne Oakham? LizE questioned every fact that George Wickham had ever shared with her, and she wondered now if Will Darcy had any interest in Anne. She had not seen any signs of interest in the time he had spent at Rosings (he had actually spent a lot more time looking at her, and she now knew why). There had been the mysterious trips in the car when his aunt was at church, but was that to do with something else? Was it possible that Ned and Anne were lovers and Darcy was helping them in some way? LizE could not piece together the situation and decided she would not try to without solid facts. She was a scientist; she would rely only on facts to support a theory and not just speculate.

"Ms. Ben!" LizE was recalled to her surroundings with that uneasy feeling that unwanted eyes are looking at you. Catherine de Bour was glaring at her and she could not comprehend from everyone else's posture or faces what had been the topic of discussion.

"Yes?" she plastered on the most innocent face she could, "forgive me, I was lost thinking about some of my research. I have been so grateful to you, Ms. de Bour, for the opportunity you have given me and the Netherfield Institute to be able to walk its breadth and tap into its cache of botanical treasures," she felt she was on a roll, and could suddenly appreciate her cousin's flowery use of language and long speeches. "All of my specimens that I have found have been of exceptional quality, I am sure we will credit you and the Rosings estate in every way possible." Catherine seemed pleased with her little speech, and her cousin nodded his head in approval.

"Thank you," it was a long and drawn-out word," I am so pleased to be helping out in any way I can," replied the great lady, appeased. "I guess I can forgive you for not being able to make our little tour yesterday to Muir Woods. We had such an excellent time with our little picnic. Jinks, you out-did yourself with the food," she waved at her multi-talented assistant who was wrapping up the manicure and putting his utensils away (of a different sort than for cooking). "We had a nice little hike, even if it took us a bit longer than we planned. And Darcy had car trouble getting there and was late."

Anne looked over intently at LizE at the mention of Will Darcy. LizE instinctively reached down to touch the letter in her pocket and hoped she did not blush under Anne's acute gaze. LizE's mind raced as she tried to keep a calm exterior while Anne's eyes lingered.

"But then it was a bit bittersweet, our little _tour_. Because we all knew we were going to have to say goodbye so soon. That is why Will's and Ned's spirits were so low yesterday." She looked around to be assured that she had everyone's attention. "Ned was able to rally himself and join in our activities but poor Will, his attachment to me really made him quite miserable yesterday with the prospect of leaving."

"I feel it exceedingly, I really do," said Catherine, and dapped a cloth handkerchief to her dry eyes. "I feel the loss in here," and she thumped her chest with the same fist. "I am so attached to these nephews of mine, and they are so devoted to me. They always hate to go. But so busy, _important_ men of business, though it is hard to stay away, but I am always happy to provide a little sanctuary for them once or twice a year. Usually the spring and in winter, you know, late winter," she seemed to want to avoid mentioning Christmas since it was not a holy day of the Grand Zephyr's.

William C. was on her right and reached over to touch the golden throne and throw out a compliment that made Catherine raise up her shoulders while she patted her chest with both hands as if to say, who me? LizE was sure it had been one of his prepared remarks.

"Now you, LizE, you are to leave us on Wednesday?" All eyes turned towards LizE again. LizE nodded.

"Are you sure that traveling alone will be okay? Perhaps I can spare Anne to take you as far as the bridge. There is a direct rail from Sausalito down to your neck of the woods. No transferring needed then. Of course, you won't see the Golden Gate Bridge; did you see it coming up?" LizE assured her that she did. "Yes, oh good. Now, Anne, do save Ms. Ben the trouble of hired cars or buses and drive her."

Anne looked surprised at the offer but agreed to it and assured her employer she would be happy to drive LizE to the station.

"We need to have charity and make sure we care for those around us," spouted Catherine. LizE bristled a little at being considered a charity case inside but smiled and accepted the offer.

"My niece, GEO, did a summer course in Houston, Texas before leaving for Europe for her first Uni year. I insisted Will make good arrangements as to her transportation, you now. With all this unrest, you cannot be too careful about getting about safely," said Catherine. LizE could not help but wonder at the particulars in GEO's life that summer, given Will's letter, and wondered if the trip to Texas was a cover story, or a half-truth? Had she traveled to Texas as part of her recovery?

Catherine threw out a number of questions her way which prevented LizE from losing herself in thoughts about the letter and all the details. The lady seemed to suddenly want answers to previously unasked questions about the nature of her research, the necessity for it, and why did she need to come to Rosings, which then lead into a discussion of history and politics, though all from Catherine's point of view.

* * *

The ride home with Mr. Jinks was a quiet one after such a talkative night. Yet, despite the late night she indulged in the delight of unpleasant recollections, reading and re-rereading Darcy's letter and recalling every detail of their meeting. She was peeved about the entire way he had proposed yet she felt sorry for him and angry with herself when she thought of how vehemently she had accused him based on George Wickham's false words. To have been so valued by him that he asked her to marry him as a way of declaring his feelings held weight but the entire situation was not one she felt, like one of the thousands of games she had played, required a do-over, or that she wanted to see him again.

LizE spent a great deal of time focused on her own self, her own outlook, on what had been her expectations of others, her prejudices and found her behavior to be lacking. She vowed to do better. To be more open with new acquaintances, to examine the full measure of a person based on their actions and not just listen to his or her self-promoted words.

Whether she could rectify the behavior of any of her family, or whether that was even necessary was a different matter. Her father would keep to his study, her younger sister' focus was more on their freedom to roam than on their studies. Even Mara and Mark never seemed to temper their desire to tinker with any thoughts about when they had gone too far. It was hard to judge the extent without judging their very natures. Her mother, well, her mother was Fancy Ben. LizE had learned to accept her a long time ago and could simply wish the world bend to Fancy as Fancy Ben would not be bending any time soon.

Will Darcy's letter had done one positive thing; it had restored her faith in the character of Charles Bingley. His affection for Juno had been sincere and his conduct almost blameless if not for those unanswered comms. Whether there was a way to correct the situation from Will's mistaken impressions about Juno and Alex was another matter.

* * *

Her last day was quite a melancholy one considering all the reflections which had kept her up the night before. It was a balancing act of the practical, with matters like packing her clothes and equipment with the more sorrowful, saying her goodbyes.

She had a quiet and happy luncheon with Charlotte, talking over little nothing but it was an hour more like their old companionable days before her marriage. They had found some level of friendship again; it was not what it used to be, but LizE was happy to have come.

If Charlotte still nursed any ideas about LizE and Darcy she did not bring them up. LizE hoped her information about Darcy and Anne (though it had now been proved extremely wrong) would stave off any other questions from Charlotte. She could not handle discussing Darcy with her friend after his proposal for all that LizE had spent hours reflecting on it.

Mr. Jinks stopped by, ironically on foot, to say goodbye and assure her that he wished her to play his current game Now and Then (the half cooperative, half competitive game) with her family and had another he was developing for Catherine and would send to her and her family for testing. He was warm, and even affectionate, in saying goodbye, expressing his thanks for her visit. He said finally much he had enjoyed Cinderella's visit to the castle. LizE was surprised at the warmth and depth of his feelings; thanked him for the games and assured him they would keep in touch.

LizE and Fergus had a long walk and she was saddest of all to be leaving her four-legged friend as she could not let him know why she had to go or how much she had valued his companionship while she had been in Marin.


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter 38

On Wednesday morning, William C. took a few minutes to make LizE a little parting speech. He spoke of the Grand Zephyr's great designs and how they had connected him to his beloved Charlotte through his relations with the Ben family.

"I will be forever grateful for my little trip down to see your family. It has proven to me that the Grand Zephyr has blessed what I am doing. I am thankful you could come see us. Charlotte has enjoyed your stay and our little abode was brightened with your visit."

LizE thanked him again, saying she had an agreeable and profitable time and an especially pleasant time with Charlotte and Fergus, but he was just getting warmed up.

"I am pleased to hear things have gone so smoothly. We have done our best though having Rosings and Catherine de Bour so nearby has to be the star attraction—such an advantage—you can see that all I talked about during my visit to Meryton was not an understatement. Though my house and what I have to offer may be humble the grandeur of what Catherine and Rosings have to offer is immense." His chest was swelling with pride. "You can see how much the Grand Zephyr has blessed her. She stuck true to the faith and look at the bounty that surrounds her. She was faithful in all aspects of her life even if life was not faithful to her." He paused as if venturing onto thin ice. "Catherine has been so welcoming of Charlotte, bringing her into the fold. I hope you feel your friend has not done so poorly for herself as far as a husband. And I wish you may find a life partner and be equally as happy as Charlotte and I. It is as if we were designed for each other." He was so over-come with emotion he had to turn his head, clasping his hand to his chest to quiet himself. The gesture reminded LizE of his patroness. He turned back, "you can safely tell your family and friends back in Meryton that all is well here in Marin!"

A clattering of claws preceded Charlotte's entrance. At least LizE felt happy that her friend had the bundle of loveable energy that was Fergus (and she would certainly miss the puppy); Charlotte did seem happy and LizE never once detected any regrets. Her friend was especially taken with her faith and often discussed some of the finer points of doctrine with William C. at the table. LizE was not sure exactly how much in love Charlotte was with her husband but would no longer speculate.

"Don't forget you haven't said good bye properly to Ms. de Bour," said William C.

"Do say something for me," said LizE, "about her kindness for allowing me to come and do research and all of her invitations for dinner."

Her cousin assured her he would be happy to do just that.

* * *

Anne collected her not soon after. LizE's bags and equipment were loaded and after one last goodbye, and some extra scratches for Fergus, they headed inland and then south towards Sausalito and the passenger rail that would take her under the Bay, under San Francisco and down the peninsula to "her neck of the woods" as Catherine de Bour had put it. The rail system had been one of those big political building projects that the state had implemented as a means of recovery a number of years ago. She was not sure if Darren Lucas had a hand in it or not while he had served as state senator.

They did not speak at first as if recovering from their respective households.

"Cooler today," said Anne finally.

"Yes, and getting cooler as we near the Golden Gate."

"Did you get the bulk of what you planned done, research-wise?" asked Anne.

"Yes and no. Having the opportunity to come was an honor; I can see that Dr. Badre, my manager, was right. And I came looking for some specific items, particularly grains and grasses, but I kept stumbling upon new species, or what I suspect were new ones (or old ones in disguise,)" she laughed, "which was distracting and frustrating with my limited time."

"Well, we'll just have to have you back," said Anne cheerfully.

"Yes, I'd love the chance to come again," LizE grinned.

"It's good that you enjoy your job, have a _calling_ in life, a vocation that you love."

"Don't you enjoy what you do for Ms. de Bour? You seem very busy but then I'd imagine you also have a lot of freedom. Plus, perhaps, maybe," LizE danced around the statement, "she pays well." She did not come out right to say she was paid to put up with the temper. "Look, Anne, can I ask you. Did Will Darcy ask you to arrange my visit to Rosings?"

Anne was quiet for a minute. Traffic sounds roared around them. "No. I did that," she finally answered with a bit of a stutter. "I knew about you from Charlotte, how she'd asked you to come." She paused again. "And I knew about you from Will."

"What!" LizE exclaimed, looking at the driver who kept her eyes on the road.

"Will and I are very good friends and he had commed me about this young woman he liked. She had gotten under his skin, he said, and he couldn't stop thinking about her, and he mentioned your name," she had found her voice now. "So when Charlotte told me she had asked you to come, and I knew Will was coming for his visit, well, I used my position as assistant to Catherine to press for you to come. To grant you, _in particular,_ the permission the Netherfield Institute had been asking for all these years." She took in and let out a deep breath, "I am a bit of a romantic, you see."

LizE was floored. Anne had deliberately tried to set up her and Will Darcy. She _had_ been correct that someone had arranged it.

"I always thought you and he were a couple!" blurted out LizE.

"No, we've been friends since we were teens, but we are not together," Anne kept her eyes forward on the road.

"But why the secret trips in the car?" LizE asked, unable to stave off knowing all.

Anne blushed and was silent again. "I'm a Christian," she said at last, "but my employer is not, as you know. I belong to a small house church. There are just thirty-one of us. So many in this area follow new religions or "newly found" religions but woes betide you if you follow one of the big three. It can be difficult for you socially or in employment in this area."

"But what has Will Darcy have to do with that? Does he come with you?" pressed LizE.

"I don't always get to church (we can both surmise Catherine would not approve if she knew) but Easter is absolutely essential. Will has been genuinely supportive of me and comes to visit Catherine every year as a way of both distracting her and helping ensure I can make the Easter services."

"But why work under those conditions, for such an employer?" LizE blurted out the question but held her tongue as far as using stronger language in describing Catherine de Bour as part of her new vow at being less judgmental but she was finding it difficult.

The silence was longest this time and LizE felt she had ventured into a territory the private Anne did not wish to share. LizE was about to retract her question when Anne spoke. "Lewis de Bour was my father." The next silence was not an easy one. LizE felt she could not respond without waiting for Anne to finish or change the subject.

"Catherine is not my mother." The road sounds bounced around them and within the car as they drove. Traffic slowed up and Anne had to down-shift. "She knows, which is why she hired me. My mother, Grace Oakham, was my father's personal assistant. It seems such a canned story. He spent so much time at the office, Mom and he fell in love. She, Catherine, was happy to be spending the money and not at home. I don't think Catherine ever wanted children whereas my father always did which added to the reasons Mother and he came together."

LizE had a million questions but held her tongue.

"Dad was able to easily maintain two residences, Catherine was so frequently gone. He was a loving father, but while he never hid me away he never trotted me before all friends and relations either. When he died the estate went to Catherine with some provisions to my mother (who is still alive). Catherine has dangled _de Bour Shipping_ over me these past seven years if I worked for her. She has promised to name me as heir and not one of her other relatives or to give the money to the church or to charity. It was about the time my father passed away that she converted to the church of the Grand Zephyr and I sometimes feel like she did it just to hold something else over my head. But Will, he's had my back, as I said, since we were teens. He encouraged me to stand my ground where I could and let me choose what I needed to do. So when I thought I could help him out and arrange for you two to meet again I jumped at the chance."

"I don't know what to say," replied LizE, "you must like him a lot."

"I do. I love him as a brother. The irony that he is Catherine's _nephew_ and I am Lewis' _daughter_ is not lost on me whenever I stop to think how much he's done for me. He _wants_ me to inherit when he could just as easily be the heir as much as she dotes on him, you have to have seen it."

"I have. Far more so than on Ned."

"Ned's father and Catherine fought years ago. I think she is still taking it out on the son. Ironically his father, Catherine's brother, Henri did not think she should marry my father. You would think that she would forgive him after all these years since I am proof that he was proved right, but she still holds a grudge."

They could have kept talking but Anne was driving into the rail station as she told LizE about Henri's refusal to attend the wedding because he thought Lewis was not good enough for Catherine. Anne expressed the wish that she could drive LizE the whole way home but was sure Catherine was timing her for all that she had expressed generosity in allowing Anne to drive LizE this far. Anne and LizE vowed to continue to comm each other as LizE said her goodbyes and boarded her train.


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter 39

Home was the noisy place it always was and she realized she had missed it. Though noisy in a far different way from the parsonage. In Marin the noise was largely the constant booming voice of William C. echoing through the house. At home it was the somehow reassuring echo of five or six familiar family voices in stereo from different parts of the house. Most family members greeted her either as she expected from the short "hey! bring me anything" (Luna) to the "oh, hello, you back?" (Mara) to "my dear Littlebit, it's been chaos and nonsense since you left," (Tom).

Mark was strangely sentimental about her having been gone and gave her an unusual brotherly hug. "You all right?" he asked looking intently in her eyes. She felt vulnerable as she had not expected any of the family currently at home to peer into her soul.

"Yes," she brushed him off. "It's been an intense trip—lots of results. I think I have some real treasures."

KitE and Luna latched onto LizE and stole her away from Mark who continued to eye her curiously. One or the other of the high schoolers was on dinner detail and they said they were preparing a special meal for LizE but she soon found herself roped in to help while they shared all the news.

Luna had hopes that Fancy might take her and KitE to Los Angeles for the summer.

"Sort of a field trip, like you and Juno have been doing," added KitE.

"Well, good luck convincing Fancy. I don't think she's left Meryton in twenty years," answered LizE as she washed dirt from newly harvested carrots.

"The Kings are moving!" said Luna.

"Yes, after they just got here too," added KitE.

"And Milly said how much they liked the weather and the neighbors and all, but her mom has enough money to fund her own research and is to found her own itty bitty lab back east somewhere," continued Luna.

"North Carolina," put in KitE.

"So you know, LizE," and Luna leaned back in her chair with a Cheshire Cat grin.

"What now?" asked LizE.

"Hint, hint," said Luna, "George is free again!" and she held up her hands in emphasis. "He doesn't have to date that old Ms. King while he secretly likes Milly instead. Though how he could stand to kiss anyone so old as Ms. King I shall never know." She had not touched her celery.

"Don't be impertinent."

"What? Why? I thought you liked him. He's _so_ good-looking, why wouldn't you want to date again just to wrap your lips around his?"

"Luna!" LizE slammed her peeler down on the table a little too hard.

"What?"

"I am not interested in seeing George Wickham again," insisted LiZe. Luna stared at her then picked up her knife.

"Did you meet _anybody_ while you were away?" LizE ignored the question. "You know, to flirt with, have a little fun, to kiss or, you know…? I thought by _now_ one of you might have a steady boyfriend at least. Juno had been looking hopeful, but no, it's always work, work, work. She's just like Aunt Meg. Juno needs to find an Ezra who likes to take care of kids. When do you get too old to have kids anyways, 30?"

"Luna, you can have kids at least until you're 40," LizE answered without looking up or answering back to her other chatter.

"Really? Seems you'd want them out of the house by then as you'd be wanting spa treatment for wrinkles and old age spots." LizE could not help but roll her eyes but she resisted throwing her carrot at her youngest sister.

"Aunt Lily wants grand nieces and nephews something fierce, almost more than Fancy wants grandchildren. Maybe you should have married that clerk," commented Luna

"Cleric," LizE corrected. She was only a little mortified at this point that her news had gotten around the family, though thankfully it had stayed within the boundaries of the Ben house (and not strayed to Aunt Lily's house). "How did you find out, by the way?"

"My bedroom is above the kitchen. I've complained about that squeaky door for ages but nobody ever listens to me," replied Luna who had finally attempted some chopping. LizE resolved to spend her next free moment tackling the door with a can of de-greaser.

"Tell her about Chamberlayne!" interjected KitE.

"Oh yes!" Luna waved her knife dangerously. LizE indicated she should put it down before she nicked one of her sisters. "Chris Chamberlayne is transitioning!" continued Luna.

"Where is he going?" The two teens laughed so hard their work ceased.

"Not _where,_ no, Chris is going to be a Christine. The militia pays for surgeries and she finished training so is going to Texas for surgery and will join the militia after surgery, as a she."

"I don't really know Chris," said LizE.

"Christine," corrected KitE. Luna had already moved on to a new topic.

"We've had such fun with school break hanging out in town. Me and K and Pen and Effie: watching all the militia. I just love Col. Forster. Have I commed that she thinks I'd make a great soldier?"

"No!" said LizE looking up from her work. She had been doing more than the two teens.

"Yes!" she answered eagerly and KitE nodded to show her knowledge and support. "I thought I said I'd been so keen on watching Captain Carter and all her moves, weren't you paying attention?" and she pouted, "well, since Col. Forster got married she's taken a shine to me, probably because Jessica thinks I am in-the-can!"

"Her new wife?" prompted LizE.

"Yes—we've been hanging out there a lot now that Jessica's finally moved here from back east. She gave up her fancy sales job so she hasn't anything else to do but bake us cookies and talk about the neighborhood."

"I wonder that she didn't regret leaving her job to do that," remarked LizE. Luna did not catch the sarcasm.

"Oh, she's going to work again when they move to LA," nattered Luna.

"Did we say the militia is to move in June?" asked KitE.

"Yes," answered LizE, "you've commed me every day since you found out. Each of you probably twice a day." And she pointed at them each in turn with the carrot in her hand.

"Oh why did they have to finish up their training so quickly!" Luna pressed the back of her hand to her forehead.

"It's been eight months!" remarked LizE who went back to her peeling.

"But _I_ am just getting the hang of everything," cried Luna, "_I'm_ not trained."

"You're not in the militia."

"Not yet."

LizE set down her carrot and peeler. "Look, you aren't _really_ thinking of joining the militia, are you?"

"Yes I am."

"You'd give up going to Uni? Not with your genes…not with Mom and Dad as your parents. To be in the militia…" LizE's voice trailed off.

"Yes." It was a vehement toddler 'yes' that Luna gave LizE. LizE could recall the actual preschooler Luna who never let being the youngest or her age ever deny her when she wished for something.

The three of them finished the dinner preparation with lots of little histories of goings-on of the neighborhood and the militia being shared. Luna was the principle amuser, assisted by KitE the hinter. LizE played the role of audience. One item that could not escape Lize's notice was the frequent mention of George's name.

She dreaded seeing him again and wished to put off a meeting as much as possible. LizE figured she could follow in Juno's footsteps and be studious and devoted to work. Any trips to Meryton could be put off until the militia's departure in two weeks.

LizE found Luna was quite set on the idea of joining the militia and had no plans to go to Uni and felt no real need to even finish high school except there were educational requirements for entrance for the militia. KitE talked along the same sort of lines though it was more about the no school than it was about the joining the militia. Tom did not exactly dissuade Luna from it by a strong 'no,' he just grumbled about Luna's grades and Fancy, herself the youngest, could only feel that such strict competition from five older siblings had something to do with it and also wouldn't tell her to give up the idea.

* * *

As a special welcome home treat, LizE woke up to hear the loose pane in her window rattling. It took her a few sleepy moments to register it was probably an earthquake though a mild one and it stopped by the time she was truly conscious so she drifted back to sleep.

In the morning a check of her comm revealed alerts about a small quake on the Hayward fault across the bay though with no damage. Not that some in Meryton still got worked up about quakes since the proverbial big one had yet to occur in the area despite predictions. LizE looking forward anxiously to seeing Juno on Saturday did not stop her from introducing Mr. Jinks' game Now and Then. Her family loved it, especially Mark, and oddly KitE (as though no one ever noticed her preference for games). LizE began to recall a number of come from behind wins by the eighteen year old. It was such an interesting mix of cooperative and then competitive play that it appealed to all of them and they played late into the night far, past everyone's bedtimes.

On Saturday, Juno came home and there was the same sort of greeting and fussing over Juno as LizE had received. LizE took an actual step back and thought that the family looked and sounded very much like a flock of hens as they stood around Juno throwing out disparate questions heedless of the others but nevertheless all excited to see their lost family member.


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter 40

LizE had been impatient since her return home to talk to Juno and could not wait to see her and speak to her privately. After the fussiness had died down and they all eight had eaten together, LizE suggested sitting down outside. It was a deceptively cool May day; like it wanted to pretend it was still early spring or even a late winter day (not that there was much difference in temperature, just in the amount of rain.) But the sun was shining so they told Fancy they would air out the summer house.

Juno was business-like and talked for almost an hour about her adventures with Aunt Meg and Uncle Ezra and her own experiences with field research. It was only after all the windows were opened and all the surfaces were dusted or cleaned that she turned to her next youngest sister with a guilty look and asked "how was your trip?"

"Will Darcy asked me to marry him," was LizE's succinct reply.

Juno fell down on a worn, stuffed chair, a puff of dust billing around her, her mouth agape. LizE quickly sketched the scene beneath the old scrub oak, of his assuredness, his certainty of her answer and his details about his own mixed feelings.

"But he loves you LizE. Will Darcy loves you!"Juno's face went from disbelief to delight.

"Yes, another proposal from a William. Hrmph. The next William I meet I shall run away from screaming, what is it about me and Williams? No, he didn't love me, not really. Like our village idiot William he loved some fairy-tale bit of me, probably some idealized notion of a wife he thought he saw in me."

"LizE! How can you treat his affection for you so?" she frowned.

"Believe me I can laugh at it now, but have beaten myself up about it this past week as I waited to tell you! But I am sure he will get over me and move on. You don't blame me for turning him down do you? He is a better catch than the village idiot for sure."

"I don't blame you, no. It is an odd thing to do, ask you to marry him instead of out on a date. It is surprising, that's all, that his love for you was so strong and assured that he asked you to marry him. I just think that says a lot about him."

"I have to tell you about the letter," said LizE.

"He commed you afterwards?" her face was open and quizzical. It was odd to watch Juno's face as with LizE it was one of few places she displayed her feelings.

"No," she paused. "A letter." And she took the three pages from her pocket and held them in the flat of her hand. "He wrote me a letter."

Juno stared at the pile of paper with hungry eyes. "What did he say?"

LizE returned the pages to her pocket while she explained everything relating to GEO and Wickham. Juno clutched at the sides of her chair as LizE unfolded her story. She knew of the black market (she had told LizE of it herself) but to _know_ someone who dealt in it was a blow. To have met someone so personally affected by it shocked her so much that LizE worried she might cry, and she eventually did.

"Dear Lord! Poor GEO! I cannot father" and her wide eyes blinked and then tears fell, "LizE, the poor dear, how will she ever recover from such a misstep?" and she was lost in tears for a long time, her heard deeply wounded for all that had happened to Will Darcy's sister. Juno slouched down in her worn, ugly green chair while she processed all that LizE had said about GEO and George.

"At least Will Darcy is cleared of mistreatment." Juno sat up a little.

"Yes."

"But can Will Darcy have erred somehow? I simply cannot believe such a thing of George Wickham. To know such a creature has come among us who would exact such revenge upon another human being is despicable." She sank down again to think. The old chair was so worn it enfolded her, embraced her as she contemplated everything LizE had said about George.

LizE looked at her sister. "You can mull on it all you like, but I have not been able to elevate George Wickham above 'monster' status for many days now. I really think there is only enough merit for one good man between the two of them. It shifted around a lot this week but now I believe that Will Darcy deserves it, but you can think as you please."

It was some time, however, before a smile could be extorted from Juno. She finally sat up straight in her chair, her eyes clear. "I don't know when I have ever been so shocked. That poor girl, can she recover? And George Wickham is, well, wicked. Beyond anything I could ever have imagined or have ever read in any news comm. And poor Will! LizE, have you considered all that he has suffered through this, in the past and now? Knowing his part in all of it breaks my heart. And then you threw all that awful stuff in his face and told him you hated him!" Twin tears rolled down her cheeks. LizE wondered at the perverseness of Juno crying for Darcy who had done her so much harm. "The poor dear man. You have to think how miserable he is and yet has to carry on everyday. Oh LizE!"

"I am sure I need not have any concern for him since you have ample compassion and will soon do him such ample justice. I will forget about him entirely," said LizE.

Juno wiped the tears. "I can still not believe that anyone _we_ know can do such a thing. He seems so straight-forward, appears such a nice man."

"There's the rub," smiled LizE attempting to cheer her sister. "One has all the goodness, the other all the appearance of it. As if some fairy godmother mucked up the delivery of the christening gifts."

"I have always liked Will."

"I never gave you any credit for your view of him and for that I am sorry," replied a sincere LizE. Juno smiled sweetly. "I have spent so long congratulating myself on my cleverness at disliking him. I just wanted to see things in black and white as far as he and George. And yet when things began to go gray I don't think I ever thought to wonder about George. Funny isn't it? I started to see Will Darcy as more human but it never occurred to me that if he was a decent person I needed to, perhaps, question what George had said. And I was so quick to snap back to my black and white thinking when I talked to Ned." Her stomach tightened. LizE realized she could not reveal what Darcy had said about his part in separating Chaz and Juno and had ventured into dangerous territory.

"Why LizE, what did Will's cousin say?"

"He talked about how much he was at Darcy's disposal and to be bossed around. Whether they were to stay or go was to be left to Will Darcy and all my former opinions about him came flooding back," she elaborated, not quite a lie, not quite the truth.

"The letter," and Juno nodded towards LizE's pocked," I am sure it was difficult for you," her eyes were large.

"It took me hours to read and re-read it and ingest the whole thing. Mortified may well describe me that day, and there was no one to turn to for advice. Thank heavens for Fergus to at least listen to me if I didn't have you. I felt physically sick most of the day. If I had not felt so strongly about how much I hated Darcy and liked George, I might not have suffered so much that day. But I think, on reflection, I had to do it. It was cathartic to dispel the poison of wrong opinions about both. I have begun to heal, even if slowly, this week."

"I am sorry it was such a bitter day for you, that your strong opinions about George meant you had to suffer so much," there was another sweet sisterly smile from Juno.

"I have to ask you, what should we do about George? Should we tell anyone about his true nature?"

"How can we reveal his errors?" Juno replied, "It is a death sentence under President-for-Life Sanchez' Administration, can we condemn him to death?" Her eyes were huge at the thought.

"Will Darcy has not given me any authorization to say anything at all. I was not to tell anyone about GEO though I did share that with you," she looked guiltily at her sister. "I worry that George has undermined our little neighborhood in some way but everyone likes him so much and dislikes Will. I don't know that they would believe me if I did say anything. It's a dilemma."

"If you did say something George might become desperate and who knows what he would then do. Best to let him go. Colonel Forster is keeping an eye on him, besides," placated Juno.

"I have one last thing," and LizE dug in her pocket and pulled out a box of matches. Juno looked quizzically at her. "I was asked to destroy his letter, because of its sensitive content, and Will Darcy is counting on me to keep his secret about his sister. You know our family. I dare not disobey this one request. I have, until now kept this on me at all times, but…" and she pulled out the letter from her other pocket. It was such a precious item in this day and age of electronic communication but she went to the small fireplace in the summer house, put the letter on the bare bricks inside the hearth, lit the match and watched the letter burn. LizE was not certain, but she suspected Juno wept a little as the letter burned, both for the preciousness of it, but also as it stood to her as a sure sign of Will Darcy's love for LizE, no matter how much LizE argued he only saw some idealized wife (though why she and not someone like Caro would fit his notions of a wife she had no idea)?

* * *

LizE could focus again on work and was ecstatically happy to have Juno back with her when traveling to and from to the Netherfield Institute each day. She had initially thought she would, once she told Juno about her adventures in Marin, completely forget the entire scene between herself and Will Darcy, but found that it was always at the edge of her consciousness and LizE was happy to have someone to talk to about it, in their short commutes, when she was assured that there were no sisterly ears listening or tell-tale squeaky doors alerting anyone to elicit conversations. Juno was an eager listener and supportive, as always, of LizE. LizE felt like she was not able to do likewise. The letter was burnt and so she need not worry Juno would ever find it and read what Will Darcy had to say about his friend, but the knowledge that Chaz so loved and valued and simply adored Juno weighed on LizE's mind. She considered Darcy's mistake as to the situation with Alex Morris and wondered how to rectify that, but came up with no solution. Did she contact Darcy, should she reach out to Anne? She figured that Ned was too embroiled in his own set of woes with his girlfriend that to ask him to intercede on her behalf would be sort of rude.

Juno was not happy for all that she maintained her usual routine. Time had not healed those wounds of separation from her first and only love. Having largely ignored the attentions of men and whole idea of dating and focusing instead on her career she was at an impasse in life. She missed Chaz and cherished such tender thoughts and still maintained some slender thread of hope about the two of them that her work suffered. Co-workers began to comment that her quality of work was not up to its usual standard. This brought on a sense of despair which LizE worked hard to check. LizE arguing with those same co-working, stating that Juno's level of work was far beyond most colleague's, so if she was not working to her usual level for a week or two, then it gave everyone else a chance to catch up.

A more dedicated Juno was, eventually, able to focus on the rigors of her job as Senior Scientist. Perhaps it was in her nature; perhaps it was partly due to being the oldest of six. LizE considered that Juno found a way to erect a ten foot fence to completely keep out men while dedicating a small garden on the inside to Charles Bingley. Juno, who had never before had time to date was not letting go of her first attachment; LizE though equally as busy at Uni, had at least dated, so had gotten through the first crush at a far earlier age.

Fancy was the one other person in the family to notice that Juno was not her usual self (at least who mentioned the fact), and remarked to LizE that she wondered if Chaz Bingley was likely to ever visit the Netherfield Institute again? LizE replied she doubted that Chaz would come. So much of what he needed to do to over-see his investment in the Institute could be done remotely that he had no need to come in person. Well, I hope he realizes that Juno is dying of a broken heart, Fancy remarked and then went off to fetch Luna to work on their supper.


	41. Chapter 41

Chapter 41

Everyone in Meryton felt uneasy with the militia leaving as if they would be subjected to the same social ills of a big city now. They seemed to forget that there had been no issues before the troops' visit which had been the very reason why the militia had been stationed there in the first place.

Luna and KitE begged Fancy to take them to Los Angeles for the summer, for a visit 'like a field trip' for their studies, they argued. They were both sensible that Tom would never go. Fancy felt divided, she wished to please her daughters but she did read news comms and was mindful of the dangers still in pockets of LA. What Col. Forster had said about the summer months and the rise in temperatures making an increase in the rise of violence was true as there had been two small incidents in the past few days alone.

The two youngest seemed excessively mopey on the subject of the militia completing its activities and moving away. Luna's stated desired to join the militia did not waver with the prospect of her friends and contacts leaving; she could only see that she was losing their companionship and drove her oldest four siblings crazy with talk of her intentions to join the militia and her constant harranging of Fancy to take her to LA. The oldest four dealt with it in different ways. Juno, with her excess of patience would listen carefully to her plans and sooth where needed. LizE tried as best as she could to get Luna to change her mind which meant Luna eventually stopped talking to her about her plans. Mark took a stance between the two oldest, representing the very real physical dangers of a career that could get you killed and lending her an ear, as a big brother. Mara, true to middle daughter fashion, told her to grow up. Luna never spoke about it with her again.

Luna's dreams of an LA trip came true when Col. Forster invited her to come along with them as an intern for the summer. Jane Forster said it would be "light boot camp," and that way Luna and Jessica would be able to spend more time together. The rapture of Luna, the delight of Fancy at the opportunity (and of herself getting off having to go) and the mortification of the luckless KitE cannot be described.

Col. Forster's further details that their new duties were not entirely without some risk flew over the heads of Luna and KitE. Both envisioned a sort of extended LA vacation visiting such sights as it afforded these days. Risk analysis was not their strong suit. Luna could only chatter on about her excitement and desire to leave with the militia at the end of the week. KitE thought it should be her turn to go since she was within weeks of finishing high school and would be free to then choose to _really_ join the militia after such an internship and complained to whoever would listen about the unfairness of Jessica being Luna's particular friend and not hers.

Fancy was happy to let her go. Her grades had been terrible lately and she thought that a change of pace might help her to re-focus on them in the fall. Of course, she would either have to finish up this school year with Col. Forster and Jessica's help or work extra hard at the end of the summer to finish her current studies. But not all apples fall close to the tree and perhaps she was not slated to follow into the scientist (or engineer) mold that the rest of the Ben family did. Fancy tried to recall any distant family member who had not been a scientist, but besides that oddball Aunt Sari, she could not.

Juno and LizE felt for the luckless and unhappy KitE and both soothed and listened, and helped her with her studies. While her grades were not as bad as Luna's, they too had slipped this past year.

* * *

LizE was particularly uneasy about the situation with Luna, her proposed "internship" and her friendship with Col. Forster and Jessica, and going to LA. She felt it wrong to let her go and not finish her studies; she felt the situation with Col. Forster's family was untenable and feared for her safety. So concerned was she that LizE secretly advised Tom not to let Luna go to Los Angeles. She represented to him Luna's nose-diving grades and that without a dedication to them and finishing up this year (with still two more years ahead) she may never go far in life without the good foundation that education provides.

"It is a lesson you and Fancy have solidly instilled in all of us, Papa. She will never focus on them if not required to do so. She may have some natural abilities as far as intelligence with you and Fancy as parents, but that will only take her so far unless she learns to focus and apply herself. Her behavior and interest in the militia recently seems more to me at grasping at the next interesting thing, a pretty toy rather than a well thought-out decision. That is, perhaps, partly to do with being an impulsive fifteen year old and all teens are similar thinkers, but I believe there is something about her personality, that lends itself to such rash behavior and needs the firm hand of a parent to control and direct her."

"You sound more like an interfering aunt than a concerned big sister," he retorted. LizE looked at him, stung. "Did she do something to bend your nose out of joint by getting out of line? Has some boyfriend taken exception to such an obnoxious sister? Who was that young man, George wasn't it? Rumor has it he moved on. Did he turn tail and run because she was a bit on the silly side?"

"No, I am considering what Luna needs as she moves forward on the path to adulthood. Forgive me for being blunt. Just because she will be of age in two years doesn't mean a parent's love and guidance aren't still needed, now more than ever. And KitE always follows Luna's path. _She_ is now grumbling about Uni choices and considering the militia when she never did before.

"I am also not comfortable with the internship arrangement. Her friendship with Jessica is an odd one. They have been tight friends since Jessica moved here, but Jessica talks a lot about going back to work once in Los Angeles. Is Luna just an obsession, a play thing for Jessica right now who is used to a high-powered job and is stuck at home making cookies? This is no playdate Luna is going to. The riots are real, people do get hurt. She is supposed to be an 'intern' but what does that entail? What assurances have they given us as to her safety when she's not received any training?"

"Littlebit." And he paused to look at her with his father-knows-best face. "I am sure Jane Forster knows her business and would not allow any harm to come to Luna. The militia wouldn't allow such a thing. Luna is going to see what life is like and come home with her tail between her legs, you'll see. She'll have a new focus in life; sometimes in our youth we need to go sow those wild oats before we can come back home and get back to planting more practical and useful seeds."

LizE frowned at the mixed use of metaphors but left off the conversation there mindful that Tom was not to be convinced of her point-of-view. She was not pleased and this was one time she really wanted _more_ from her father but she had to be content. She could not fret over every little unavoidable evil; life was full of twists and turns. Perhaps Luna would return home with her tail between her legs as Tom had predicted and eager to return to her schoolwork.

It was also good that Luna, keeper of her secrets, did not know about her words to their father. She talked of nothing else but her "training" which hinged more on socializing with her fellow troop members and seeing Los Angeles than on any sort of service or work. Just to be sure, LizE dutifully oiled the squeaky door.

* * *

She had managed to keep busy and avoid George Wickham since her return, having seen him briefly in town twice but not to talk to. She had a heightened sense of agitation, even a little fear at seeing him in close quarters and thought it perverse bad luck that Fancy had thought to throw a farewell party at the Ben house for the militia and as a send-off for Luna.

George made a bee-line for her as soon as he arrived. His greetings to her had the false warmth and friendliness of Catherine de Bour and LizE wondered that she had not seen them as theateresque before. He gave every indication that he wanted to start things back up again, as if they could do so in one evening and with the assumption she would be willing to carry on where they had left off. No matter that he had pursued the two King women or that maybe _her_ feelings had changed. It was, to him, as if she would welcome him back and be a willing partner to hear his grievances and as if he felt her vanity would always be flattered by _any_ attention from him; that her interest in him could always secured by his merely saying 'hello.'

LizE figured her best way to get rid of him was to mention her seeing Will Darcy while away in Marin. George, in fact, led the way by asking about her trip. She mentioned Darcy's visit and of meeting Ned FitzWilliam, and did he know Darcy's cousin? He looked alternately surprised, displeased and alarmed but then pasted a smile on his face. George said he had met him once or twice when the Darcy cousins were visiting and it had overlapped with his own visits to Pemberley.

"I recall him a jolly fellow, always happy and a life-of-the party sort of guy." He paused, lost in thought. "How long was he there?"

"Almost two weeks of my three."

"Did you see him a lot?"

"Yes, most days."

"He is quite a contrast from his cousin," he offered.

"Oh yes, they are very different sort of men. But you know," and she paused to make sure she caught his eye, "I think that Will Darcy improves the more I know him."

"Really!" cried out George in a higher voice than usual. "And how may I ask…" but he lowered his voice, adopting his more usual tone, "does his mode of conversation improve? Is he friendlier? For I dare not hope," he continued then in an almost whisper, "that he has somehow improved in his core essentials."

"Oh no!" cried LizE. "At his core, I believe, he is just the same."

Wickham's face went through such a contrariety of looks. He seemed to not know if he should take her words at face value or if there were undertones to pay attention to, some inherent warning. His face took on an interesting shade of red (whether from agitation or embarrassment she did not know) when she added.

"What I mean when I said he improves the more I got to know him; I meant just that. Not that he had changed in any way, just that by knowing him better I could understand his disposition, his actions."

He stared out at the large crowd at the Ben house for a minute or two before continuing. He returned to his sweet society voice. "You know how I feel about him. I am happy to hear that he behaved so well during that visit to his aunt and that you were able to see it as a by-product. No doubt he is extremely well-behaved during his visits to Rosings Park so he can be ensured he remains in her sights when she fills out her final will and testament to make him her heir to de Bour Shipping. So far as I know, Catherine de Bour has never _chosen_ someone to inherit which accounts for Darcy and that cousin of his making those annual visits to her for all that she is such a nut case."

LizE could tell he was ready to launch into a list of his financial grievances and staved him off by nodding her head and walking away. She spent the rest of the evening with Corporals Rogers and Johnson her previously anonymous dance partners from the Netherfield party all those months before. When she formally said goodbye to George it was with a mutual desire on both sides to never meet again.

Luna parted from her family, returning to Meryton with Col. Forster and Jessica to leave with the troops in the morning. She nosily kissed and hugged them all and promised to comm them lots of details of her adventures. KitE was sullen and reluctant to say goodbye. Mara vanished quickly, as did Tom. The concerned and real goodbyes from Juno, LizE and Mark seemed not to be noticed.

* * *

A/N: Sorry I am tardy. Between needy customers and teens with afternoon and weekend activities I am finding I have less time to write and edit.


	42. Chapter 42

Chapter 42

LizE had sometimes wondered about her parents ever marrying. Tom seemed such a classic, cool level-headed scientist. Everything was based on what he could see and touch; he so often theorized about little things. If ants got into the kitchen pantry he would want to study the type first so he would know the best way to eradicate them. Fancy was the passion-filled one, as if there was some southern European blood running in her veins, all spur-of-the-moment, intensely affronted one minute and a wrong forgotten the next if something distracted her. The classic, apparently, of opposites attract.

LizE did not want to speculate too much on their passion for each other, after all they were her parents, but she had wondered a number of times at how they had come together and stayed together. Tom's focus on his research to the exclusion of most all else made it difficult for them not that Fancy with her string of disappointments in early life had not tried, despite them, to keep him happy. She could sometimes draw him out of his usual funks but most often he locked himself away from her and the rest of the family with research as his excuse. Home-schooling six and the running of the house and of the property left Fancy little time for much else in life but gossip with the neighbors. If she was a little crazy, LizE figured she, Tom and her siblings were to blame.

She had never been blind to her father and his distance, but did respect his work, his character and his abilities even if she felt he was not the best husband. She tried hard now as an adult not to judge but it was difficult those first few days not to feel like he had taken the easiest path with Luna. Rather than being firm and saying no, he had apparently felt it simpler to let her go. Less difficulty for him, rather than stepping up to help with this last child of his and helping out his life partner in shaping her, it was easier to continue hiding. LizE wondered if they were as if beings of clay, the six of them, getting more misshapen as Fancy the potter was a more tired parent by the time she got to the last of them.

LizE, at least, felt the need to heal the breech she did not know existed and with Juno's sometime help, got KitE through her last month of high school. While she enjoyed the attention from her older sister to have its focus be on schoolwork when KitE could only think that Luna was having fun in LA and constant refrains of "it was all so unfair" made it a difficult task.

Luna's comms had been quite frequent at first. All were written as though she was a 17th century swashbuckler rather than a tea and coffee intern. They had settled in a nice house and had opportunities to see, (touristy 'see') some parts of LA but then came lots of ugly words describing the stark reality of the deterioration of buildings and decay that was LA in 2068. LizE could tell Luna had no real sense of the dangers of the militia as her comms made everything they did (and she did spent the majority of her time with Jessica, but had a new friend 'Bri') sound like a party.

Her comms eventually curtailed, as they expected but never lost a sense of excitement. KitE eeked out sufficient grades with LizE's help and by mid-June was tolerably happy with finishing school and did not mention Luna above once a day. She was even considering _leaving_ home for her Uni years.

* * *

LizE had rejoiced over Wickham's departure but found that she missed the militia. Their presence in town had added an extra social level to the small town life. Neighbors who did not normally socialize had invited others to luncheons or thrown small parties or were simply inclined to get out and visit. She realized she had looked forward to their moving camp, as it were, as a date to help lift her spirits (so much weighed on her mind: Juno, her own recent behavior, sisters Luna and KitE). Work kept her focused but her taste for field research left her wanting more and the current workload of processing the Rosings cuttings (and Aunt Meg's and Juno's discoveries) kept her thinking of Darcy far too often during her work day.

Aunt Meg worked alongside her helping to process and document all the field research. They swapped stories about being in the field and LizE expressed a strong desire to be able to do more now that she had a taste for it. Aunt Meg said she would see what she could do.

Uncle Ezra came to see her at work one day sidling into her little lab with a nervous air which was so unlike him. He told her he was considering ways to get Meg to take a break from her work and go on a little vacation, and would Fancy be open to watching the kids?

Truthfully, LizE her little cousins they drove her mother crazy but did not say so. She said she thought she and Juno could handle with their care-taking. He thanked her with a relieved air and left.

A week later Aunt Meg invited her to lunch at the Turnbull Café.

"We're taking a little trip down memory lane, Ezra and I, and are going to visit the Lambton Institute!" LizE stared at her. She was torn; she wanted to look surprised and not give away fore knowledge of the trip, though it did sound more business than pleasure. She nodded to keep Meg talking.

"We want you to come," continued Meg.

Now LizE was surprised. "Won't I get in the way?" she replied.

"What do you mean? We want you to come. It is always good, career-wise, to network with other Institutes. I know you just got back but I think since I am have a senior role at Netherfield they won't fuss if I ask to bring you for all that we're family. Sometimes that makes all the difference. And for some reason Juno doesn't wish to get back into the field so soon. Though it is not really field work _per se_, more sharing ideas and meeting people, and a little getting away as I said; Ezra seemed keen on the idea."

LizE assured her she would be happy to go though as soon as she was alone she commed Uncle Ezra about the luncheon and the details Meg shared. He commed that he had done his best with attempting to get Meg to focus less on work and take a break, but he seconded the idea that LizE come with them. Dr. Choi, Meg's mentor, was still at the Lambton Institute and happy to host them for a week.

LizE could not help thinking about the proximity of the Institute to Darcy's residence Pemberley. She remembered Meg and George discussing the local area but did not have a strong sense of the towns or cirties nearby or its proximity to Pemberley. In a comm to Anne she explained her up-coming trip to the Lambton Institute and asked specifically about Pemberley.

Anne commed it was a beautiful place, a little rural as it backed onto one of the National Parks so there was no near neighbors but was larger than Rosings. She had always admired it. She remembered Will Darcy's father was a love. Both father and son were underwriters to the Lambton Institute. LizE wondered if that was where Chaz got the idea. LizE ended her comm with "no telling him I'll be in the area" and Anne assured her she would not.

* * *

In discussing the idea of going into the field again she found her manager, Dr. Badre, was surpportive but also a little reluctant to lose her so soon after her return from Marin. There were some negotiations with Aunt Meg, Uncle Ezra and the Lambton Institute to be handled so their trip did not happen as soon as Uncle Ezra wished. Dr. Badre gave his stamp of approval finally one day after she saw Dr. Nishino leave his office. LizE wondered why Dr. Nishino might be intervening on her behalf but also, as she speculated on the question, thought perhaps she did not want to know the answer if it involved higher-up people intervening for her. How high did they go? Did Chaz know? Did Darcy? She trusted Anne not to intervene but would someone else know and use their connections?

Fancy reluctantly agreed for the Gardiner children to be underfoot if Juno and a surprisingly willing KitE to help out. By mid-July all the details for what was now to be a week at the Lambton Institute for networking rather than Ezra's vacation were worked out and the three scientists left Meryton for the rural area down south were the Institute was located.

The Lambton Institute was smaller than the Netherfield and was located in agricultural surroundings. No large city of note lay nearby. The biggest was perhaps Santa Barbara though it was still a ways away. Lambton had been founded to focus specifically on plant botanicals related to food crops. In the early days they worked with GMOs though unlike the Kenilworth Institute they no longer tinkered with any genentic modifications. Their rural settings, while not ideal for attracting employees, worked well with testing seeds because of the fertile soil.

Tom Ben had, in fact, done some studies in his early years (and family lore had it there were introductions between Meg and Ezra through him, but it depended on who you asked). LizE was not sure what to expect from their visit and still felt a third wheel since she had known Uncle Ezra wished for the trip to be for Meg and he alone.

* * *

Dr. Choi can only be described as a firecracker personality with enormous energy levels despite being in her 60s. Their first long day at the Institute was one extended meeting including minute discussions of techniques, different equipment and an extensive amount of reading (something everyone must do just to keep up with their subject). LizE fell asleep exhausted.

The second day was a mirror of the first though the lunch was far better as a different scientist had chosen the menu. Most employees were like Dr. Choi, dedicated and hard-working in a manner that put even Juno to shame (in her pre-Chaz days) and LizE realized she did not care for a work environment _so_ focused on results alone without the time to chat in the hallways or for times, like at the Netherfield, when they all stopped work and gathered to cheer on the basketball team. The Lambton Institute did not participate in inter-Institute sports.

LizE was especially warned about the director, Dr. Heemskerk, who brooked no idling and was far more hands-on than Dr. Nishino (who no one ever saw at the Netherfield because he rarely ever came in).

Their third day, Dr. Heemskerk interrupted a small group of them having rather animated discussion about weeds and invasive botanicals. His comm screen was in his hand, gripped tightly, and he directed his eyes solely to Dr. Choi.

"A Ms. Reynolds at the Pemberley Estate has asked for our help with a weed problem concerning their vineyards."

"Will has vineyards!" LizE exclaimed, looking up.

The cold blue eyes turned from Dr. Choi to LizE. She could read nothing in them and his face was as marble.

"Do you know Mr. William Darcy?" She could not interpret anything from his question.

"A little," she replied, squirming in her chair.

"Who are you?" he asked in his monotone voice.

"This is Meg Gardiner's niece, LizE Ben, from the Netherfield Institute Dr. Heemskerk," replied Dr. Choi.

He stared stony-faced at LizE for a long time before he turned back to Dr. Choi.

"You know how long we've tried to get onto the estate. And here is a request from them for help," he held up the comm screen, "and here," and he jabbed a stiff finger at LizE, "is some who _personally_ knows Mr. Darcy. If we play our cards right we can have a team on-site in a day or two—maybe a week depending on the equipment needs."

LizE suddenly felt sick, physically sick at being put in such a tight spot. To have opened her mouth at such an inopportune moment! She glanced at Meg and Ezra and tried to plead her cause not to go but not knowing anything of her history with Darcy in Marin, Ezra just raised an eyebrow while Meg smiled and nodded in an encouraging manner. Dr. Choi seemed quiet as if some rivalry with Dr. Heemskerk prevented her from expressing an opinion.

LizE dissembled. "I thought I heard the Darcy family never allowed any research at Pemberley despite being generous donors."

"That is true. But here," and he firmly held his comm screen up, "is a _request_ to come, albeit just to look at a particular issue, and with Mr. Darcy traveling if we manage to convince this Ms. Reynolds to let us roam a little, well, lucky for us."

The knots in her stomach unraveled at the news that Will Darcy was away. She was certainly curious to see Pemberley between Caro and Lois discussing the house and estate as a model for Chaz and Anne describing its beauties.

"You're asking me to go? I just want to be clear."

"Yes, but use all the skills you have once you've sorted out this weed thing to convince this Ms. Reynolds to let us come back and look around. You know our mission for the F.S.R.B. We can be as quiet as church mice as we scamper about."

An hour later, LizE found herself on the way to Pemberley.


	43. Chapter 43

Chapter 43

It was initially a dry, dusty road flanked by the tall, dry, amber grass that gave California its golden nickname (and not the Gold Rush as LizE and other residents knew). She wondered that a rich man's estate could be located in such an area. Dr. Choi said it was nestled up near a lake and as Anne had commed, backed up to a National Park (a National Forest in fact, yet there were few trees so far). As they climbed in elevation the golden grass became spotted with shrubs and trees and the flat golden land changed colors: olives, pales greens and sages, taupes and soft browns.

They crested a hill and the road swooped down sharply and she could tell that the area ahead was one of those little micro-climates caused by the shadow of the hill on one side towering over the valley before her with the river meandering through it. A climatologist would explain it in terms of rain-shadow effect and dew points and humidity. Or a geologist might discuss the formation of the particular small range of hills and the erosion of the river that helped form the valley.

To LizE, though she might be a scientist, she found the valley inspiring on a level that could not be broken down into pieces or compartmentalized in any way, described by mere natural processes. It was lovely. It was breathtaking. It was a treasure. A sort of secret garden and she thought, suddenly, of tales that had such a storyline and understood why authors used such imagery over and over again. The flora was different on this side of the hill from the crest—deeper, truer versions of greens, dark rich browns with some bright pinks and purples that indicated a few wildflowers.

At the far end stood a modern house. It was nothing as grand as Rosings House. LizE with her unanticipated expectations had somehow imagined it would be on the same size and scale of Rosings but the house was compact and smaller, full of angles and made of materials she could not immediately guess at and while it stood out it did not look out of place.

Pemberley House stood near the river and invited them to its door. Ms. Reynolds had indicated she would meet them at the house so LizE, her aunt and uncle, Dr. Choi and her assistant Scarlet Deane parked before the house on a curved driveway and knocked. The summons was answered almost immediately.

If she thought to compare the assistants, Ms. Reynolds was the opposite of Anne Oakham. She was six feet tall, dark skinned with a lingering French accent. Her bright white teeth contrasted sharply with her dark skin and you saw them often as she smiled frequently and talked incessantly. When she smiled the laugh wrinkles were strongly visible and the strands of white in her dark hair also indicated she was older than LizE had immediately considered.

"Call me Esme," she said as she asked them inside. "Sam is somewhere out and about and I put a comm in to him to come in from the field when I saw you drive up. In the meantime would you like a look around? William won't mind if I show you the house."

Aung Meg and Dr. Choi were particularly excited about that idea. Pemberley House seemed larger on the inside than it did on the outside and was a trick of the architecture, explained Esme Reynolds as they stood looking at the large proportion of its rooms. The great-grandfather of the current owner had built it from all local materials—California redwoods and sequoias and local stone—and had wanted it to fit into its space without overwhelming the natural environment. But he also wished to have a house that suited the CEO of an important company. He wanted space for family but also for entertaining when occasion called for it. After the troubles of the 50s, though, it had not been used as much for business events but was still a proud family home.

Esme brought them to a large living room done up in natural tones and accented with unstained wood. There was no crowd of paintings and _objects d'art_ here as at Rosings. Family photos hung on the wall, an abstract watercolor hung over the fireplace, small knickknacks decorated the shelves though none burst out to a visitor's eye with a label 'I am expensive and pricey!' They all appeared to be items the Ben family might have in their house.

LizE loved the room; it was comforting and welcoming and was a room she could imagine coming home to, sitting by the fireplace in an overstuffed chair with her feet up on an ottoman enjoying some herbal tea.

"This might have been mine. I might have been familiar with this room instead of viewing it as a stranger with others. I could have been showing it off to my family. Though, given how he felt about scientists, I am not sure if Will Darcy would permit me to invite them." She frowned, attempting to not feel something like regret. Instead she addressed a question to Esme.

"I had heard, through various channels that Will Darcy was an art collector. I am surprised that he does not seem to have much displayed here. Does he have them displayed elsewhere?" She did not wish to mention Caro Van Hale as her source.

"William does have one or two pieces here, he has a nice Hopper in his study I can show you. Perhaps you mean his repatriation efforts? He doesn't hide it, but he doesn't talk about it either though he always makes me proud. I've known him since he was four as I came here from Paris to help Aimee, his mother. He always had a generous heart, even as a little boy and now he uses his position and money to buy artwork which has fallen into the hands of people who won't part with it for anything but money, even if provenance proves it belongs to someone else. So much art can be bought and sold on the black market even if stolen from museums or taken from people by governments, or just by folks who didn't know better (or maybe who did) in times of war. He's traced samurai swords taken off the bodies of Japanese soldiers in WWII and returned them to their families; he found a number of pieces ferreted away by the Nazis and he found one of the Rembrandt pieces taken from the Gardiner Museum all those years ago. Bought them with his own money in most cases and then returned them to their owners and asked nothing in return."

LizE was quite over-whelmed by the news that Esme shared about Darcy's work in the art world. She had only assumed he was a collector, like his aunt, to display it with the same vulgarity at his house. Yet Esme Reynolds painted quite a different picture of his forays into the art world. Their glimpse of him in San Francisco those many months ago must have had something to do with this side-line business he indulged in. And her mentioning his generous heart went against her ideas that he was essentially a spoiled, rich, ill-tempered man. LizE was more than a little intrigued by what Esme Reynolds had to say about his personality.

"This is quite an interesting account of him," whispered her aunt, "it is not consistent with his behavior to our poor friend."

"Perhaps we were deceived there," said LizE who was feeling a little off-balance at this new revelation about Will Darcy.

"Is that possible?" Her aunt stood up a little straighter looking at some point beyond LizE. "Our friend's story was so convincing."

They moved on to the study to see the Hopper. LizE longed to ask if Will was truly away but could not find the resolution to ask outright. Dr. Choi's assistant Scarlet posed the question, adding "I would so like to meet him."

Esme answered. "He is due soon and perhaps they will stop by the Institute." Scarlet brightened at the idea of meeting the great Mr. Darcy but LizE's brow furled at the idea that once again their two adventures may overlap. She considered opening up and discussing more of Will Darcy and the occurrences in Marin with her aunt.

There was a bright little room all angles and windows that smelled of fresh paint and had a soft off-white color on the few surfaces that did not contain windows. Esme explained that William's sister, Georgiana, had taken a liking to the room so William was having it decorated for her use. "She's recently taken up watercolors and thought the lighting would be excellent."

Sam the vintner was still a no-show so they went upstairs to see one more room, another sort of living area though this one had an air of being less used. It held a magnitude more photographs than the first living area, some of them over 100 years old. Esme explained that it had been the favorite room of Mr. William Darcy Sr. and was not currently used, but she had brought them there to show them the prospect from the windows that lined the entire end wall. She pointed for them to look up and view the eaves and the extreme angles, pointing out how the dead space: in the attic, the area between ceiling and the room: was used and helped to create a sense of smaller scale on the outside. She was obviously fond of the architecture and would have continued but Aunt Meg interrupted her to point out a small photograph of George Wickham.

"Look LizE!"

Esme looked at it and frowned. "That's George Wickham. He was a wild boy and has become a wild man. Mr. Darcy Sr. doted on him and paid for his schooling; he pampered him a great deal, but he's not done anything useful with his life." Her face wore its first serious aspect they had seen that day.

"Now that one is William," her pearly smile appeared again, and she pointed to a formal picture of Will Darcy wearing a Uni cap and gown like LizE had seen worn in photographs from 75 years before. He had an equally formal look on his face.

"It's a good-looking face," said Dr. Choi.

"Dreamy," said Scarlet, and then corrected herself, "yes, he is handsome."

"What do you think LizE?" asked Aunt Meg.

"Yes, he is good-looking," she replied in as even a voice as she could muster.

"This is Georgiana when she was little. It was taken about five or six years ago." She was pretty, a girl of perhaps twelve or thirteen, braces on her teeth but smiling nevertheless. LizE thought she could see a pimple or two on her forehead but it had not fazed her apparently; she shone as a confident youth. And now she was a hollow shell, thought LizE, all thanks to George Wickham.

A ring on her F.I.D. band indicated Sam had arrived and their hostess began directing them downstairs.

"This is such a nice house, does Mr. Darcy spent a lot of time here?" asked Uncle Ezra.

"Not as much as I would wish, but probably half the year here. And Georgiana was here until she finished her high school studies and went abroad," answered their guide as she led them downstairs.

Except for her eventful summer between High school and Uni, though LizE.

They reached the bottom of the stairs and a new photograph caught her eye. LizE crossed the hall to see it pretending to peek into a room but scanned the face. He had a smile and one she had often seen when he was looking at her. It was not a formal, stiff, professional photograph but had been obviously snapped by an amateur and by someone who held his gaze and his affection long enough to capture his expression.

"Georgiana took that right before she finished high school. They had been hiking around here and she managed to catch William unawares before he could go all stiff and formal and pose for the lens. She insisted that William enlarge it and hang it right here in pride of place. So he did. Whatever can be done to make her happy is sure to be done in a moment. I think people look at his formal photographs and get the wrong idea (he doesn't seem to do well by the lens); I have heard people call him proud but I think it is only because he does not talk all the time like other young men," said Esme as she stood beside LizE and contemplated Will Darcy's happy face with her.

LizE was aware of more gentle feelings about the face before her than ever before. What Esme had revealed about his work retrieving lost or stolen art both intrigued and humbled her as she had assumed he, like his aunt, was a rich collector, hording away treasures in his house. Yet it was not the case. His home was far more modest than she anticipated. And he was quite the loving brother, all that he had done to care for GEO, to fix her up and continue to do, or try to do, to bolster her feelings and well-being after her run-in with George Wickham spoke volumes. Esme was obviously a devoted friend (and probably a substitute mother, calling them both by their full names, the way mothers do) to have come from France and stayed on after Mrs. Darcy had died from the Luxor virus. Had William Darcy been a disagreeable child or teen or adult, Esme could have easily returned to her home country.

LizE recalled the praise that both Ned and Anne had shared for Darcy, claiming "he has my back," and realized what a solid set of shoulders, in more ways than one, they were. She thought about his awkward and ill-conceived marriage proposal and his declaration of his feelings for her and could look now at that scene with a sense of gratitude that such a person had loved her, even if the mode of declaration of that love had been so awful.

They walked outside and Esme turned them over to Sam Villars who managed the estate's vineyards. LizE could not help but remember the first meeting between her and Darcy and considered the irony of Darcy having wine groves on his property in California if he only ever drank French wine. She wondered if these were a recent addition or if he had them there for a long time but that he never drank his own creation.

Sam was tall and extremely thin and she wondered if all Pemberley employees were tall to suit the height of their employer? He had tan skin that showed he was out of doors often and the same winning smile that Esme had. His light brown hair was bleached in parts because of his time in the sun, apparently, and he wore it long, pulled back into a pony tail. He eyed the group of five scientists saying with his gaze what they knew: that five scientists were over-kill to handle his job and also would not fit into the jeep which he stood beside.

LizE wandered about twenty meters from the party hoping to be one of those left behind. Sam was tactfully explaining the seating of his four chair jeep when her attention was caught by a sound and movement and she turned and saw Will Darcy kicking a pebble down a driveway that led up behind the house. Their eyes met and they blushed in unison, his pebble skittered under a small bush and was lost. She turned to go back to her group as though to hide behind them but he had obviously seen her and called out to her. That voice calling her name was so familiar and her body flushed in response. She walked up while he walked down and once met he immediately asked about her and then after her family as if meeting her unexpectedly at his family home was nothing in the world. It was as if their last two encounters had not happened. LizE was bewildered at the friendly, even out-going personality before her, though there was a little edginess to his voice that hinted that he was a little ill at ease.

The rest of the party noticed their little talk and were silent as they observed the owner of the house talking to LizE. If any of the Lambton party had doubted LizE's claim that she knew William Darcy here was proof. Sam's face indicated he was surprised to see Darcy so this visit must be an unexpected one for the household. Eventually every idea seemed to fail Will and he nodded his head in parting, strode past the party with a smile, and went into the house.

A sigh bordering on a groan came from Scarlet as she flitted up to LizE. "Oh my god he is _so_ good looking!" she whispered. "Why didn't he stick around and greet everyone else?"

LizE was never at such a loss for words. She would have loved to have bolted, or at least hid in the car rather than face the five pairs of eyes staring at her.

"He did not say," she answered truthfully. Her mind was over-whelmed with considering what her outburst the day before had led to or even how bad of an idea this whole venture had been and beating herself up again over opening her mouth about knowing William Darcy, CEO, owner of Pemberley Estate.

"What did you talk about?" inquired her aunt.

"Just pleasantries, he just said hello," answered LizE attempting to put off the subject. Aunt Meg looked at her over the tops of her glasses with a look that gave LizE a shiver.

Sam coughed to get their attention and refocus their energies back on the subject of who was to go with him in the jeep. Scarlet was the weed expert so Dr. Choi insisted that she go; Aunt Meg nudged LizE and whispered she should go too, "to stay with the plan." LizE felt like such an outsider that she did not wish to step up to take one of the seats.

The discussion seemed to excite everyone's interest but hers. Uncle Ezra, a keen wine drinker, wished to see the vineyards but could not offer any expertise. Aunt Meg wanted to go simply because she could not stay away; she was too nosy. Dr. Choi wanted to go because she was of like mind. Scarlet wanted to talk about William Darcy so she wanted to go with the group, the implications being the larger group could be induced to talk about William Darcy and Sam might be induced to answer questions.

LizE wished for some peace and quiet and was far more fixated on considering which room currently held the living, breathing body of Will Darcy. She wondered could be going through his mind at finding her here, at Pemberley. What did he think of her? Despite that awful, awkward scene, did he still love her? Perhaps he had only been polite because he had been caught unawares, some sort of CEO-reflex? But he had also seemed a bit on-edge. She had not been able to read anything in his face as they talked; she had been so over-whelmed by her own emotions as to not be able to read his.

It was while they were still all arguing their place, and Sam apparently the sort of personality not to intrude and recommend a solution that she heard her name called again. He was at her elbow and nodded a smile on his face and asked her to introduce the rest of the group. By then the others had noticed. Darcy called a greeting out to Sam who hailed him in return. LizE introduced Dr. Choi who was polite, charming and had a slight sense of being wary as if she was attempting to gauze her host's feelings about their unexpected visit. Scarlet had a huge grin on her face and LizE worried she was going to drop a curtsey to Will. She introduced her aunt and uncle jointly and pointed out their relationship to her, looking at him to see what he thought. He took all the introductions in stride, smiling and shaking hands with each person in turn.

Darcy began to converse with Dr. Choi about the Lambton Institute and their current research, and they both talked animatedly for several minutes; Scarlet joining in as well, before Sam coughed to get their attention. Darcy smiled drawing all their eyes again and looked around at the circle, making sure to catch everyone's eyes before he looked meaningfully at Sam. Sam explained that they had been on their way to inspect the invasive weed in the vineyard and about the seating in the jeep.

"Who is the most qualified to help you?" asked Will.

"That's me!" cried Scarlet.

"Then why don't you and Dr. Choi go with Sam while LizE and her aunt and uncle stay here? I can show them around the grounds while you inspect Sam's weed." Scarlet's face fell at the idea of missing out on a private, Pemberley tour by the owner but Dr. Choi nudged her and the two eventually set off up the hill (the road followed along beside the river) even if it grew ever steeper above the waterway.

Darcy invited LizE, Meg and Ezra Gardiner to follow him after first being assured they did not need a break. He entered into an easy conversation with Uncle Ezra as he led them behind the house into some impressive and quite different gardens. She recalled that Rosings House had only a small patio, no garden to speak of, the great lady of shipping apparently not a fan of being out of doors for all that she owned a lot of land. Will Darcy was a sociable host as he showed them his native California plants garden with a glow of pride though it was not a lordly pride—the one she had thrown in his face that day—this was pride in the achievement of someone else, for he talked fondly of the landscape designer and her work. Aunt Meg put her hand on LizE's arm and raised an eyebrow quizzically to question the man before them with the one she had come to know through the stories from George Wickham. LizE responded only with a smile.

The topic turned to fishing between Ezra and Will. Will said he was a fly fisher when he got the chance and the Pemberley tour then turned to one that took them along the path of the river El Doradito where he and Uncle Ezra discussed catches and near misses and Darcy confessed he had dammed a small section to create a little pond to help enhance his local fishing whenever he was home.

LizE followed along behind the pair, considering the very different version of Will with some astonishment. Why was he so different, so personable and welcoming? He cannot have changed for me; this cannot be for me: all that I said to him that day in Marina cannot have made such an impression that he has welcomed both me and my family and the Lambton scientists with open arms. It would seem impossible that he could look with kindness at me, care for me.

They traced the course of the river for some time until they reached a little area all over-grown with ferns growing right down along the edge of the water. Aunt Meg exclaimed and rushed over to look and not watching her footing happened to fall and hurt her knee. Will immediately said he would comm for someone to bring a car. Meg declared she was okay but would prefer to lean on Ezra's arm. And so they switched partners. Ezra fussing over his wife who limped along bravely but had been happy, despite the sprain, to have gotten a chance to look at the fern.

LizE and Will walked along in silence for a while before she broke it by explaining her place in the group. She shared the entire story of Dr. Heemskerk's hopes resting on her having known him. This was not the time to be caught in a lie. Darcy grinned as she relayed the tale.

"We all understood you to be out of the house or I would never have come. Even Esme said this morning you were not expected until tomorrow at the earliest." He acknowledged that was true and said he came a day early as he feared the construction on GEO's new studio had not been finished and he wanted to ensure that it was done. "I am also having a small group of friends join me, people you know: Chaz, his sister Lois and her husband."

LizE nodded her head though her thoughts were divided between considering Juno and considering the last time she and Will spoke of Chaz Bingley together. His pallid face gaze LizE reason to think Will was also thinking the same thing.

"There is one person you have not met," he continued, "and someone who would like to meet you. If you don't mind I should like to bring my sister over to meet you."

LizE was flattered, whatever reason GEO might have for meeting her had to be because of Will's influence.

They walked back towards the house again in silence, her aunt and uncle making their slow way behind at a distance. The entire day, the situation, the meeting, the inevitable discussion with her Aunt that would occur afterwards was uncomfortable. But she was also flattered and pleased. Pleased that he could and did find that spark of kindness to welcome her and her friends. A lot could have been shared during those private minutes as they out-stripped her family and the silence was awkward but neither seemed able to find a topic that did not touch on dangerous subjects. Finally feeling brave, LizE asked about his having vineyards on the property. "I thought you were not a purveyor of California wine."

He smiled broadly and chuckled that warm, deep laugh. "Yes, I believe at our first meeting I expressed a preference for French wine and you told me of the treasures of California wines. Sam is an old Uni friend and he approached me about seven years ago about putting in vineyards here and I agreed as a strict business venture. We bottled our first vintage three years ago. But for all his pleading and cajoling I have never tried Pemberley Wine. That is, until a woman challenged me to try our local treasure. I have since, with Sam's enthusiastic help, been stocking my cellar with California varietals." He chuckled again and they settled into a more companionable silence.

As soon as they reached the house, Esme Reynolds popped out to say that Sam and the two others had accomplished what they needed for now and were on their way back. Will invited LizE to come in and wait for her team and her family but she declined for a number of reasons, the biggest being that portrait of him that hung in the entryway. Somehow she did not want to compare the snapshot by the sister, a snapshot taken before her 'disappointment' with the real thing and measure the effect of that disappointment on him.

The two of them stood in front of the house in their continued silence. She thought to praise the way the house blended with its surroundings but realized that might be misconstrued. He offered up no subjects until he finally asked about her work which seemed safe enough if they avoided speaking of Chaz until at last Meg and Ezra joined them. Will then turned to invite Ezra to come fishing with him. Knowing he was a bit of a fifth wheel while Meg and LizE were busy during the day, Uncle Ezra lit up at the prospect. Will also invited all three of them for lunch in the next day or two, despite their busy work schedules. Meg replied with her knee out of commission she would have to slow down anyhow.

Five minutes of fish talk later, Sam Villar's jeep showed up with Dr. Choi and Scarlet. They were talking excitedly as they drove up and scrambled out to the best of their abilities from the jeep, Dr. Choi's knees not being as sprightly as the others. There were lots of goodbyes after they declined the offer from Will Darcy (seconded by Esme) for refreshments, though Scarlet looked rebellious at the group vote. LizE looked back at Pemberley house as they drove off and saw Will watching them drive away, Esme and Sam having returned to their duties.

The talk in the car was like a tennis match, each side sharing their store before then asking and honestly wanting to know about the others tale. The invasive weed had been, in fact a morning glory, though, according to Scarlet, quite a rare one, as she had never seen one with a yellow flower. She had taken samples and measurements for the Lambton's records. Sam had asked for help because he had never known of morning glories coming with that flower color, though they were a known vineyard weed.

It was not until they returned to their little rented cottage that LizE had time to discuss the day's events with her uncle and aunt. She had all of the working afternoon to reflect and consider how much she wished to reveal to her family. While she trusted both of them, what had passed between Will and herself was difficult to discuss. Even more troublesome were the topics of George Wickham and GEO Darcy which she was not at leisure to share.

Feigning tiredness from a long day she did her best to hurry through their dinner and it was not until the end that Meg mentioned the man himself. "I was surprised by the man we met today, he is certainly very different from the one I have pieced together in my head."

"He was well-behaved, not flying off the handle by what I had expected of him per that golden-haired fellow, Wickham," said Ezra.

"There is something about his handsome face, sort of serene and poised which people may mistake for pride," continued Meg.

"He was so attentive, such a host," (it was as though each were carrying on a train of thought and not heeding the other), "and I am not sure that he had to do anything for us at all. After all he only knows LizE a little and we are just doing a small favor for Pemberley estate. The Institute wants so much from him."

"He is quite good-looking. Different from our Wickham with his golden looks and eager smile. Why did you tell us so many sordid tales about him being so disagreeable and a horrid?"

"The man we saw today is a different version of the man I knew in Meryton but I did see more of him when I was up in Marin and I got to know him better. I have also never seen such a cordial, social, even kind version of him," replied LizE.

"If he changes his personality so much perhaps I need to worry about his offer of fly fishing? He may be the sullen, grumpy version tomorrow and not welcome me," frowned Uncle Ezra over his glasses.

"I do not think that will happen," said LizE.

"True we've only had what, forty-five minutes with him," said the scientist, Aunt Meg, peering at LizE over the tops of her glasses as well, "but I am finding it difficult to reconcile this man with the version that was sketched out in such detail by our friend George Wickham. We all know not to judge a book by its cover but there seems nothing about Darcy that reveals the depravity of his heart if George's tales are to be taken as true. And another point, we just have George's word for the ills that were reported."

With such an opening, LizE could not but help to at least right a few of the ideas about Will Darcy and George Wickham (that Will was not so at fault or Wickham so innocent) as a way to vindicate Darcy. She indicated she had heard such stories from his relations up in Marin. As a means of confirmation she mentioned the money George had received as she was sure it could be confirmed.

Aunt Meg was surprised and concerned with this new information and said she would have to see if she could not confirm that story with some of her contacts.

LizE was able to break off the conversation there and return to her room though sleep did not immediately come. She had so much to think about, wondering about Will Darcy's changed personality, and above all, his wish for LizE to meet GEO.

* * *

A/N: at over 5,000 words, this was a bear to edit. It took me two weeks of going over it to tidy it up. Hopefully I will be faster with the next few chapters.


	44. Chapter 44

Chapter 44

Aunt Meg was chatty at the breakfast table on Friday about the day's plans for the Institute but LizE could only pay her half a mind. She considered that if Will was going to introduce GEO to her it was likely in the next two days since they were to leave after a half day on Monday. If GEO were due to arrive Friday, she would want a day to settle in so it was likely that GEO would come to meet her on Saturday.

They barely had time to put away personal items at the Institute before they were summoned to a meeting. The largest conference room at The Lambton was nicely furnished and had a large window with a beautiful view of landscaped front where employees made a show of their best and most spectacular botanical finds though that view also included the parking lot. A quiet Dr. Choi sat at the conference table with Scarlet at her side. Dr. Heemskerk was pacing at one end. He did not greet LizE and the Gardiners at all but impatiently waved them to a seat. What began can only be described as a grilling as the Institute director put hurried question after question to the group, but especially to LizE, about their foray to Pemberley Estate. This time there was no stony unreadable face, his obvious displeasure at the turn of events came through in his manner and mode of address. Dr. Choi remained silent during his questioning and part of LizE wondered at the contrast to her being so outgoing, such a busybody in all other respects, that she could only ascribe it to some personal issues with Dr. Heemskerk.

LizE dithered about what she had said to Will about the Institute but Dr. Heemskerk felt her answers inadequate. Aunt Meg, at least, stepped in to defend LizE stating "plans change, Will Darcy showed up and we never got the chance to talk to Esme Reynolds again. Plans change! You _have_ to allow for eventualities." She appealed to her mentor but Dr. Choi just said, "Well, I wasn't there, we were with Mr. Villars, so…" her voice trailing off. LizE was amazed at not feeling more discomposed and not defending herself against Dr. Heemskerk's attacks.

She realized her underlying feelings were distracting her from the general conversation as though she was in a small bubble of her own in that big conference room not heeding. While they might all be considering Pemberley they had different ideas as to what that meant, and LizE could only consider its owner. He had changed so much. She thought of their time yesterday. His animated face as he spoke so kindly, even joking, with her uncle about fishing. He had been so concerned when Meg hurt her knee, his comm screen at the ready to summon help. If she had met him for the first time yesterday as a visiting scientist she would have painted a far different picture of him than the one she had previously sketched of him in black and white.

She had many more colors with which to fill in his portrait, to use in the areas of her canvas: Esme Reynold's account of his generosity; Ned and Anne's words of love, really, for Will's firm support and friendship. He had to be good at all those spreadsheets and numbers and running a large empire like Darcy Rail for even Will had said the company had some of their best years under his leadership.

She even thought about their time together as they walked on his estate. They had not looked each other in the eye much; there was an underlying embarrassment which prevented that. But she could feel him, always sense him, next to her, and hear his voice as though they were connected. Every word he said was imprinted on her and she went through every conversation from the previous day over and over.

Dr. Heemskerk began to really push LizE about reaching out on a personal level to Mr. Darcy arguing she should use all of her skills and talents to influence him to allow them access to Pemberley. LizE was disgusted by his request and stood up, turning away from the group to look out the front window. She saw a familiar silver car in the parking and said, still calm, "well Dr. Heemskerk, I think you can ask him in person for permission." She then turned around to inform the group of Will Darcy's visit.

Meg Gardiner looked at the suddenly commanding presence of her niece at the head of the conference table with amazement. There was something in the way she held herself (and given the circumstances at Pemberley the day before) which solidified for her the idea that LizE and Will Darcy got to know each other very well during that Marin trip. Something had gone on between them, enough, at least, that Will Darcy was quite interested in LizE. There must have been a lot of things LizE did not share about that trip.

Dr. Heemskerk began pacing the long length of the room and Dr. Choi sat up a little straighter and Scarlet Deane's anticipation at the visit was evident.

Will Darcy and his sister GEO were shown in by a wide-eyed staff member. His eyes immediately found hers at the other end of the conference table and he smiled with his them before turning to greet the other occupants.

Darcy explained he had come by to introduce his sister as she was in town and beginning to take on a larger role at Darcy Rail.

GEO was tall and with the same coloring as her brother and stood with her head erect staring forward into the room but not catching any one person's eyes. LizE, who knew her history, could understand why people talked about her as proud when she could also be reckoned shy. LizE, directly across the room from GEO, caught her eye and smiled warmly which made GEO's shoulders relax and a smile cross her face. LizE's eyes darted to her arms to see if there were any obvious signs of her cyborg parts but GEO's long sleeves hid her arms and LizE could find none and then felt very ashamed for having looked.

GEO had very beautiful expressive hands which LizE's eyes followed as they said more than GEO did with her few words. At first she clapped her arms to her chest holding on to her elbows when she first walked in the door but by social necessity had to shake hands with the eager Dr. Heemskerk and the more polite Dr. Choi. The Gardiners had waved their hellos from their position at the table. The hands had relaxed to clasping and unclasping her forearms as people talked and even drilling a small pattern on the tabletop once she sat down. GEO's eyes focused forward but never on any one person and more often than not Will answered questions that were put to her.

Dr. Heemskerk invited the Darcys to sit. LizE, Will and GEO all came together to sit along one long edge of the table though they were separated by the Lambton Director. He was frantically comming all the while talking to the Darcys about the Lambton's recent work and highlights and discoveries. Will looked at ease, attentive and back in his CEO role. GEO still looked uncomfortable and LizE wished she was seated nearer to her to talk.

Will's comm screen suddenly lit up with a series of beeps for which he apologized and he answered them, going back and forth with the recipient in a short flurry of comms before he smiled and put his screen away. Five minutes later the same startled employee showed Chaz Bingley into the room while she also brought in an array of appetizers and even wine despite the early hour.

Dr. Heemskerk seemed torn as his refreshments fell flat due to their inappropriate nature because of the hour of the day and the excitement at the new visitor.

Chaz Bingley was sheepish but cordial in his greetings to the room, but especially to LizE. She made a formal introduction of him to Dr. Heemskerk as friend to William Darcy but also as the new underwriter to the Netherfield Institute and she could see the dollar signs in Dr. Heemskerk's eyes.

Chaz drew a seat next to Scarlet but across from LizE and launched a series of questions to LizE beginning with her family though he did not name Juno specifically. The Gardiners were excited to see Charles A. Bingley, Esq. in person as they had heard so much about him and looked and listened to both him, Will Darcy and the mostly quiet GEO with interest. The suspicions about Will Darcy and LizE required observation though it appeared to Ezra's eyes that the owner of Darcy Rail was quite in love with his niece. Meg, true to her scientist nature, had to weigh more evidence before coming to any rash conclusions. And her niece seemed more confused and even a bit overwhelmed by the layers of conversation in the room.

Dr. Heemskerk continued to discuss current results while he nodded at the anonymous employee to pass out the wine glasses. "California wine, locally grown," he declared, smiling to hold up his glass in a toast. LizE had to suppress her snigger and Scarlet dutifully passed her a tissue as LizE coughed over her merriment looking to see if Will would drink the wine. It sat for a long time untouched before him but he eventually drank and gave Dr. Choi, who seemed to be eyeing him intently, a smile.

There were two levels of conversation, Dr. Heemskerk directing one centered very much on the Lambton Institute and its marvels of research and discovery. In this he was assisted by Scarlet and Dr. Choi who hemmed in LizE and Chaz on one end of the table. The Gardiners were having a quieter discussion with Will and his sister at the other end and LizE felt cheated by the seating arrangement. Chaz directed one or two more questions her way whenever there was a break in the scientific discussion to inquire about other Meryton friends, expressing in his final question some regret at not having seen everyone since the 12th of November at the party. LizE took this as a sure sign that he was thinking of Juno, since he could exactly remember the day he had last seen her, and that he still cherished her sister.

The one time LizE was able to really study Will she saw a content, comfortable man talking to her family. She was struck by the change in his bearing considering their last ugly encounter. Even during her observation of him back in those days of quarantine she had never seen him so animated, seemingly able to woo the whole room, for everyone hung on his words. Dr. Heemskerk turned increasingly away from Chaz Bingley, as a potential donor, and more towards his known backer. The burning question on Dr. Heemskirk's mind was finally asked outright and Will Darcy said that he could allow a few scientists one or two day of access to Pemberley while he and his friends were in town.

"I've had the good luck to observe LizE Ben in the field and know her to be hard-working," he did not look at her but addressed Dr. Heemskerk, "and Sam was impressed with Scarlet's contributions yesterday. Why not send the two of them over for the next two days to see what results you get? My friends and I are not considering staying long."

Dr. Heemskerk's face went through a mixture of emotions: excitement, disappointment, a little shock even, and then finally weaving itself into wearing 'acceptance' even if others knew his dream team and far-flung plans had been knocked down. Scarlet had the look on her face of the cat who had got the cream and beamed at Will across the table.

The Pemberley party rose to go, Chaz being the most talkative at the end said he had barely scratched the surface of what he wanted to share with LizE and looked forward to seeing her in the course of the next two days, if her work permitted it. LizE considered that his enthusiasm could only be accounted for by his still tender feelings for Juno.

As soon as the silver and blue cars had departed, Dr. Heemskerk rounded on LizE with a long list of desires to expand the project to his original version or even beyond to some permanent access to Pemberley for anyone from Lambton. She looked at the Institute director who once again sat next to her. He had no distinguishing characteristics, regular features in his face; slightly greying dark blond hair he wore on the long side, perhaps to cover the tufts of hair in his ears. She frowned, considered standing up, and then stated in as straight-forward a manner as she could.

"Dr. Heemskerk, I came here for a week-long opportunity with my fellow scientists, who are also family, to take part in networking opportunities. To share ideas, to learn, to meet, to renew. I am happy to help out the Lambton Institute by participating in a little field research in the spirit of collaboration but that is all I will do. We only have two and a half more days for this trip; I can easily leave early." She did not saying anything about Will and whether or not she wished to impose on _him._ Dr. Choi was smiling at her and went to lengths to catch her eye then she saw the same encouraging smiles from Aunt Meg and Uncle Ezra even if Dr. Heemskerk was a storm about to break when she did look his way.


	45. Chapter 45

Chapter 45

LizE left all the details to the Lambton staff. Given what she had seen of the workings of the place she assumed they would be over-the-top organized and have everything ready for her and Scarlet. The bulk of the afternoon was taken with those arrangements and LizE chiefly nodded in agreement to questions posed to her about the Pemberley arrangements _her_ thoughts were already there, wondering about one particular occupant. She may have been surrounded by teams of scientists but she was lost in thought determining her feelings for Will Darcy. She certainly did not hate him. Hatred had vanished long ago and she was ashamed of ever feeling any sort of dislike for him.

She had to admit there was also something about being valued and loved. And he not only once loved her, he still loved her, he was still was interested in courting her friendship, getting to know her and her family. He had seemingly forgiven her for her rejection of him and those harsh words, and was using their chance meeting to show he could change and to allow LizE and GEO to get to know each other. She figured they should be enemies and speak with cold politeness if they ever met yet he had changed and either was no longer the aloof, proud man she envisioned or she was somehow able to see it now.

The business whirled around her as preparations were made and she did look up from time to time to view all of the activity and then returned to her thoughts.

"He must really love me to have braved Dr. Heemskerk and come to the Institute this morning with GEO when she'd only just arrived," she concluded. "To have that amount of love and interest and motivation is…eye-opening. I am grateful. I am interested in return. But, this is all so new to be thinking this. How interested in him am I? Am I really asking myself that question?" She stared across the room until someone walked across her line of sight and LizE blinked.

"I have acknowledged my pig-headed opinions about him and been ashamed of having been taken in by George. Yet, somewhere, somehow I had not let go of the fact that he was a proud, cold man and a person not worth my friendship. I am still stuck in that black and white thinking, having put him in a box—Will Darcy CEO—business man, owner of Darcy Rail as if he and his aunt, owner of de Bour Shipping would act in exactly the same way. I might have forgiven him and myself for all of the ugly words we exchanged that day but I have not fully allowed him into any circle of people I would want to consider knowing. And then we met here. And he has been so kind, so open, so sweet. It makes me think again of our week together, our fairy tale week in Marin." Yes there had been verbal sparring then but she put it down to playful banter. And that verbal sparring had softened and deepened that week in Marin and she had not noticed it at the time, not noticed or admitted it, not noticed or admitted that there was a small spark of interest in Grumpy the dwarf. At the time she told herself that his visits were just breaks, relief, from her long days of field work, but now, LizE admitted to herself that since that first day up high in the tree, her Rapunzel day, she had enjoyed his visits. Perhaps that Saturday she had thought he was just a prickly thorn but he was also a handsome prince and there was that missed kiss.

Her comm screen buzzed. Unhooking it from her little should strap she was half annoyed at whatever family member was interrupting her thoughts.

'William H.G. Darcy' read the comm and her heart spasmed while her stomach dropped. Suddenly it was all real, as if all her thoughts had conjured him or his credentials there in front of her. She blushed, the type of blush that runs down your body, your trunk in a wave and spreads outward to your hands and feet.

LizE glanced around to see if anyone was looking at her but the hustle and bustle had died down and she was alone.

Tentatively she touched one finger to her screen and his face appeared. She had not seen his face so close and spent many minutes studying it. His eyes, dark not expressionless and with warmth even, a classic nose, good features, the handsome man's chiseled jaw. He had a small scar on his chin, though, and she wondered about it, probably a childhood accident.

"LizE, we'd love to have you and your aunt and uncle over on Sunday at 5:00 for dinner." He smiled the whole time then twisted the screen to show his sister. "LizE, we'd love to have you come. I really want you to come." GEO began with a small voice, but her second sentence came out more confident and LizE could see remnants of that pimply, braced thirteen year from the picture in Darcy Sr.'s room. The video comm swung back to Will. "You can just text us back yes or no," and then smiling one last time the video ended. LizE played it once more, pausing to look at Will's face for a long time before she video commed him "Aunt Meg, Uncle Ezra and I would love to come!" and sent her reply.

* * *

She had no reason to fear Meg and Ezra's curiosity; they did not force her to talk. The circus of the morning had certainly opened and created a lot of questions in both of their minds. LizE and Will Darcy were far more acquainted than either knew about, but curiosity does not justify intrusion into personal matters and for once a niece was not being forthcoming. Claiming exhaustion and a busy day they all retired daily.

* * *

Scarlet collected LizE from her rental cottage on Saturday morning. Uncle Ezra had already left to join Will and Chaz for some fishing and wine tour while Aunt Meg rested her knee. "If I get really bored, Myung will come get me for a bite or a cup of tea," she explained and shushed LizE away. LizE was surprised Meg was not more insistent on coming but since the previous evening there was a gentle restraint between aunt and niece.

Scarlet was bubbly in the car; her excitement at returning to Pemberley and being chosen by Will Darcy to come was obvious and she spoke about her excitement and pleasure for a while as they drove. LizE did not rise to the same level of intimacy at sharing her feelings or experiences. Scarlet hinted at wanting confidences but LizE listened without offering any information. Scarlet finally resorted to asking more direct questions about Will Darcy, often information LizE could not answer (his favorite color?) which seemed to confuse Scarlet and eventually made her clam up.

The drive down into the valley took her breath away again. She was grateful for the silence by then, to take in the view and watch as Pemberley House grew in the distance. She couldn't help but recall what Esme had said about its architecture and gazed at it, taking it in anew and with new eyes for architectural details. Esme met them at the door armed with basket of food. She also pulled her comm out to show them a map of the property and with suggestions as to climate and geography of various areas, how accessible they would be via car or foot and where best to search in their two days. She was well-informed of the topography of Pemberley.

* * *

They found a way to work together. LizE had established her own process during her time in Marin but as it was all for the Lambton Institute their equipment, any results would be published under their name, so any conflicts about process meant LizE deferred to Scarlet. The area just beyond the house on the road to the vineyards, was a long expanse of trees that had not been touched except for the road since Gerard Darcy had first bought the property. It included the river, a small meadow and a mixture of trees It was accessible by car (appropriate for two days of work); Esme's final comment before leaving them was "the ladies, Georgiana, Lois and Caro thought they might come see you doing your stuff." LizE looked up, startled. She had not considered that Caro would likely be along if the others were.

She worked in silence processing spores from the fern Meg Gardiner had looked at (she had found the same type in another cluster down by the river). LizE had always paired Caro and Will together in those early days, back in Meryton. She had been able to see even then Caro Van Hale's obvious interest in her boss. Her possessiveness, her rapid defense of him or how quick she was to take on anyone who challenged him or insulted him. But with a new-found clarity LizE now realized how much Caro's actions towards her had been motivated by jealousy. Will Darcy must have been smitten with her even back then and enough so that Caro knew or suspected. She might have felt sorry for Caro, to love someone who does not love you back, had not she and Lois tricked Juno into that disastrous luncheon. How the day would fare with visitors could not be guessed at and she returned to work, finishing the statistics about the fern and moving on to a tufty grass she had spied that looked like it had grain origins.

They worked efficiently, both mindful of the two-day limit; both industrious and focused when it came to work for all of Scarlet's questions about Will Darcy in the car. LizE was sitting back on her heels, muddied hands from having dug up the root system of a plant and pulled her hair away from her face to contemplate Esme's basket of foot which currently sat in the back of Scarlet's car. It was not quite lunchtime but she had been working hard and was hungry.

A voice cried out and she stood. The "ladies" of the house were coming to join them. She could see a jeep, though she was not sure if it was Sam's, parked next to Scarlet's compact red car. Scarlet was over a hundred meters off, camouflaged in her neutral-colored field clothes. LizE, having not known she was to do field work had not packed for it but for the office. She had picked her most casual items out that morning: heavy leggings and a white tunic but the white stood out intently under the canopy of trees.

The three women picked their way gingerly towards her as there was no path. Caro led followed by Lois (who dressed the part) then GEO. LizE took the short time to gather together loose bits of equipment before they reached her.

From the first two were many exclamations of false pleasure at seeing LizE again. LizE was friendly enough in return. She had more warmth in welcoming GEO who smiled and said simply "I'm curious."

Caro took in the smear of mud on the side of her forehead and where she had wiped her hands on the sides of her legs, yet GEO's "I'm curious" had held a small amount of joy and Caro narrowed her eyes briefly.

"Oh LizE! We've always heard about your research so we just had to come see you in action!" exclaimed Lois coming up to examine her layout of equipment on the ground.

"Thank you," she replied wiping a stray wisp of hair from her cheek and dotting it with mud in the process. Lois smirked and turned to look at Caro but GEO looked from LizE to the equipment with interest though without saying anything.

Scarlet approached with her heavy equipment bag and LizE introduced her. The two women barraged the scientists with a number of questions and Scarlet replied with interest and very enthusiastic answers though Lois and Caro barely paid real attention to those answers.

LizE's eye trailed off, still in scientist mode and fashioned on a small hosta. She moved quietly over to examine it, touching it with delicate fingers before she ran diagnostics on one of her hand-helds. It came up as documented but she gave it one last gentle pat before standing to see GEO watching her. Instinctively they smiled at each other. Lois, Caro and Scarlet were still talking over each other so LizE came up to GEO to show her the device.

"Oh GEO, did you hear?" called Lois, who clasped a hand on her arm and pulled the young woman away to look or listen to something else. LizE picked up her equipment and paced back to the car, the sounds of the group diminishing as she went. Her stomach growled, reminding her of its need and she wondered at the etiquette of opening Esme's box and then said 'to hell with it' and hauled it out.

"What is it about picnic hampers?" she said aloud before she opened the box and began to sort through its contents. The napkins laid on top were a necessity and she wiped the mud from her hands, washing her hands with water from a bottle. The hamper was packed with smaller boxes, some warm to the touch, others looked like they were insulated and held cold items. She peeled the lid off of one and found small cheesy biscuits, still warm. She ate two, thinking of Cassandra Nicholls. A cooler box held sliced peaches, another some beautiful grapes and she wondered if Sam grew them. LizE hand no idea if wine grapes were also for eating: she suspected not.

She was alerted to the other four women's presence by some retort from Caro about eating without them. While she did not hear the exact words the put-down was clear enough. Lois sniggered, Scarlet bit her lip, but GEO took a step forward to look at the spread of items LizE had opened.

"Esme is an expert at macaroons. I am sure she'd include some. Let me look," and she bent and began to pull out more boxes until she freed the treasure box and passed it around with a true smile insisting everyone try one, "no protests!"

It was the most animated GEO had been which seemed to catch even Caro by surprise and made her look at LizE all the more suspiciously.

"You know your uncle is a funny little fellow," Caro said, "I met him this morning as Will and Chaz left for their fishing." LizE was not sure if that was a put-down as it seemed mild as far as zingers from Caro went. Besides, what was she doing being awake at 5 am?

"I adore my uncle, he is an excellent husband and father," she replied.

"I can't see them fishing all day," said Lois helping herself to items in the basket. "I wonder if they're not done now?"

"I do believe Will's schedule for the day included a visit to the vineyards. Your uncle likes his wine I take it?" asked Caro with a grin.

LizE did not rise to the bait but just popped a grape in her mouth.

"Is he coming out here?" asked Scarlet who had torn the heel off of a crusty loaf of bread and laid it with some cheese.

"It isn't on his official schedule," said Caro.

"I thought he said at dinner last night he was going to check on his research?" said Lois turning to look directly at Caro. Caro alternately glared then shook her head, the attempt at subtly was lost. "Oh!" said Lois, "maybe I was mistaken!" and turned back with an attempt at an innocent smile for Scarlet and LizE.

LizE looked at GEO who was picking at her food, crumbling a block of cheese into small curds. LizE had not thought too much about Will visiting, especially with Scarlet there and with the "ladies" visit the possibility of such a visit had gone out of her head, but now the very real chance he might come made her heart pound. His visits to her, when she had been in the field in Marin, had been special events but it seemed impossible that the same type of rapport would occur here. "Besides," she thought, "I think I've run out of fairy tale roles to play. I don't think I want him to come with so many pairs of eyes to take in both our performances," she smiled to herself.

LizE hunted for the box with Esme's excellent macaroons and instead was rewards with Caro's voice, this time it was quite a quip. LizE did not to rise to the bait and continued to enjoy her macaroon, a mocha-flavored one.

"Hi Will."

"Will, come and join us darling!"

"Mr. Darcy, so nice of you to drop by."

"You didn't leave Chaz in charge did you?"

Four voices in chorus made her look up, her pulse racing, though it was not the mocha macaroon but the sight of Will Darcy making his way towards what had come a picnic and was no longer a working field site. She scrambled to her feet before he reached them.

His eyes drank in the mud on her face. Plant stains dotted her white shirt, mud caked her shoes but her eyes, her beautiful dark expressive eyes shown like the beam of a lighthouse, though instead of warning him of an impending shoreline, it was a beacon drawing him in.

"Back to Cinderella?" he quipped, grinning.

"A tried and true role," she answered. Everyone on the ground looked at them with confusion and a little suspicion.

"I thought I'd check to see how the research was going but I guess GEO had the same idea," he gave his sister a sweet smile. The statement also cut off whatever Caro was about to say.

"Will, come join us," purred Lois in her best hostess voice, "you have to have been up for hours and must be famished." She patted a place next to her.

"Did Esme pack macaroons?" he asked looking down at the assorted boxes.

"Yes," said LizE, diving down for the now half-empty box. She shook it gently. He took two steps and settled next to LizE picking through the box for an apparent favorite. All eyes watched the hunt.

"Looks like the mocha is gone," he frowned.

"Guilty," LizE smiled at him.

"Pistachio is the next best. She's found some local grower who saves her the best of the best nuts for her macaroons." He waved the green cookie confection in front of him before biting it in half and smiling as he chewed.

"Wherever did you leave LizE's uncle?"

"He and Sam are wine-tasting."

"So early?" Caro's remark came out as a sneer not as a question.

"Seems to me you and Lois did the very same thing at lunch yesterday," piped up GEO. LizE tried hard not to grin at GEO so she took the box back from Will.

"What else is good?"

"Strawberry," called GEO. LizE did grin at her then and picked out a pale pink one.

Caro watched LizE nibble, looking from Will next to her to GEO who had stopped destroying her blob of cheese and watched her brother and LizE as well, though wearing a gentle smile.

"So, LizE, how is everyone in Meryton?" Caro asked, wiping her hands on a cloth napkin. "Everyone okay?" LizE nodded as she finished her macaroon.

"Has everyone in town recovered from losing the militia? They seemed such a bright spot in the town's social life. I am sure you must feel their loss." Caro stared directly at LizE. In front of Will Darcy she did not dare to mention George Wickham but the implication was there. Caro was not ready to give up on Will Darcy. She hoped, by mentioning the militia, to take her down a notch in his eyes. In her jealousy, Caro had lashed out at one subject, George Wickham, hoping to remind Will of LizE's past and a potential rival. All Will could do though is consider GEO; he looked hurriedly at her. GEO froze in the act of popping a grape in her mouth, her face draining of color. That small bit of sunshine that had been there when he first arrived had been snuffed out.

"We have soldiered on," LizE answered with an indifferent tone and began to clean up. She looked over at Scarlet who had also apparently finished eating. She nodded and began matching lids to containers. Neither Caro or Lois noticed or helped. GEO remained still, staring down at her crumpled snack, her hands in her lap.

Will stood up, handing LizE a clean napkin, "for Cinderella," he whispered. He was tempted to wipe the mud away himself but watched while she held her comm screen up as a pseudo-mirror to wipe away the dirt.

She and Scarlet got the hamper packed up. Caro and Lois latched onto Will to talk about some plans but GEO stood aloof part of neither party.

"Thank you for the visit," LizE said as she hoisted and maneuvered the hamper into the back of Scarlet's coupe. GEO smiled again.

"We should let them get back to work," declared Will turning back, "though I have something for you LizE." He walked to his car, parked behind the borrowed jeep, and returned with a bottle of wine.

"Pemberley Wine, from our first pressing three years ago," and presented her with the bottle. A sound, sort of a squeak, sort of a gasp, came from Scarlet who looked on with jealous eyes. Hers were not the only ones. Only GEO seemed to not feel left out of the exchange.

His eyes danced with mirth as he gave her the bottle intent only on sharing a moment with her and she could not help but smile, with her eyes twinkling, lips parted in a grin, attempting to control the laughter from bubbling up and shaking her.

"Thank you Mr. Darcy." She put it on the passenger seat, nodded her goodbyes and she and Scarlet walked back to their equipment.

* * *

"How awful LizE Ben looked this morning!" cried Caro as soon as LizE and Scarlet were out of earshot. "Did you see the mud on her face and her hair? I swear I have not known someone who has changed so much."

"Too true," agreed Lois.

"And she went straight for the food basket, such a little pig. If I recall she was frequently in the kitchen nibbling on things with Nicholls," continued Caro venting her feelings. However Will felt about her rant he did not show anything on his face but simply opened the side door of his car for GEO.

"I recall, last fall, we were all surprised that the family was considered such a good-looking one as well as so smart. Wrong on both points if you take those wily sisters into account. How anyone could consider that petite, dark thing beautiful is anyone's guess!"

Given all that she suspected, even knew, about how Will felt about LizE Ben this diatribe was not the best way of re-directing his attentions back to her, but she did succeed in getting a reaction from him as one or two emotions passed in quick succession over his face.

"Wasn't there even a time when you thought her pretty in her own little way before you went away and left her behind? I even recall a time you said you preferred blonds." She flicked her hair in emphasis.

"I have always considered her quite beautiful," he replied, unable to to resist her taunts, as he climbed into his car next to his sister and leaving Caro the chore of driving the jeep back to the house.

888888

They worked in companionable silence for the most part, sharing information when needed and Scarlet stopping to talk business with Sam who came by in the afternoon. Only when the shadows made it impossible to work did they stop for the day and head home, dropping the basket at the house but only encountering Esme Reynolds.

88888

She shared the details of her research, and only her research, with her aunt who, rested and bored, was an eager audience. Uncle Ezra had beaten LizE home by hours so Meg knew all about his adventures but he repeated them again for LizE's benefit asking "How went the visit with Darcy?"

Here she was obliged to smooth over the details of the visit, the high-handedness of Lois, the jealousy of Caro and the tentative friendliness of GEO. Besides, she had smuggled the Pemberley Wine bottle in from Scarlet's car and hidden it in her suitcase and had no intention of ever mentioning that tidbit.


	46. Chapter 46

Chapter 46

On the way to Pemberley the next morning they largely spoke of the research, their findings from the day before and plans for Sunday though Scarlet did sneak in one or two questions about Will. How long had she known him? When had Will observed LizE's field research before? LizE brushed off the answers with as indifferent a manner as she could.

Esme met them with another hamper of food and pointed out a small all-terrain buggy. Sam stood nearby with his jeep. Their plans called for reaching some more remote areas that morning before coming back to work together in the afternoon.

LizE eyed the buggy doubtfully especially when Sam explained it was one of his creations, ran on biofuel and should take her where she needed to go. She thought of the ever-unreliable Bob back home and wished Will kept horses. She wondered why it fell to her lot to have the souped-up golf cart but the glances and smiles between Sam and Scarlet made her pause and then pack up the buggy with plans to circle round with the duo to enjoy Esme's picnic hamper at noon.

A road above the house turned into a path and then a track but she pressed on arriving at its end where it opened onto a beautiful meadow. She parked on the road not wanting to drive onto the pristine meadow, and pulled the cart over away from the cliff edge of the road.

Whereas yesterday she had been under cover of trees, largely working by the riverbank with shade-loving plants, today she was to work in this high meadow while Scarlet worked (with Sam apparently) in another open area near the famous vineyards.

LizE took several long minutes to breathe in the fresh air, listening all the while to the active buzz of life around her. There were no scolding squirrels as at Rosings Park but several types of birds called to each other either from the tall grasses or from the trees that ringed the meadows. It was so soothing to be outdoors and in the sunshine and life seemed well and good and manageable; even the prospect of the dinner at Pemberley House with the audience of Caro and Lois watching her and Will's every move was not intimidating.

She walked towards the center of the meadow gazing at it with her scientist's eye her mind buzzing, her hand delicately touching plants as she wound her way among tall grasses. Her F.I.D. band sounded suddenly pulling her back from her thoughts. She was almost at the exact center of the meadow. There was not one but two comms from Juno and though the F.I.D. screen was small, her comm screen was with the equipment in the buggy so she opened the first on her band.

"My dearest LizE, something awful has happened. First, be assured that we at home are all well; what has happened relates to Luna. We received word that Luna has gone missing! She has not been seen since Saturday night when she went to bed. The militia was all engaged in a horrific firefight on Saturday night; Col. Forster was on duty. A number of people were injured, including Jane Forster who was sent to the hospital which accounts for why no one, including Jessica, noticed that Luna was missing until this morning. The speculation is that she and the other intern, Brian (and we always thought "Bri" was a "Brianna"!) snuck out to watch the battle or somehow try to be a part of it. Brian is missing too. They have so far found no trace of either of them, and there is a large hunt for both underway now by both the officers and the enlisted troops. We are all very anxious for any news."

Without allowing herself time to register what had been written or even scarcely know how she felt, LizE immediately opened the next comm.

"LizE, I am sorry if I have alarmed you with such news in my previous comm. As I have not yet heard back from you, and I have more news, I am sending an update." LizE looked at the time on the comms and now speculated that there was an issue with signals which must have delayed the receipt of them until she had ventured into the meadow clearing. "Col. Forster is out of the hospital and is recovered enough to take charge of the search efforts. (I fear Cpt. Carter has been critically injured.) She sends word that there is no news of Luna and Brian. There is also one other person who is now officially missing: George Wickham. Col. Forster does not out-right say there is any connection between the interns' disappearance and George's (and she is very candid in her comms). We can speculate a lot or a little about all three having gone missing. What if Luna and Brian ran away and George is injured but simply has not been found? Dad seems to feel there is too great a coincidence not to assume that all three disappeared together and that the outcome for Luna looks bleak. Jane Forster does not say what possible outcomes could be in this scenario, but she did warn us to prepare ourselves. Poor Fancy is devastated. We hang on any news comms we receive from Col. Forster or Jessica."

"Oh no! Luna!" cried LizE who felt like her beautiful meadow had turned against her, as if she had stumbled into a fairy ring where dark and evil magic came into play. She could no longer hear the birds singing or calling, only the rush of blood against her eardrums and feel her pulse beating at her wrists. She was not sure to comm Juno or her aunt and uncle first, but knew she had to flee from the meadow to begin with, leave the place where the message had been delivered. She crossed out of the light and back into the cooler dark of the trees and saw a figure there, Will Darcy; his silver car parked just beyond the cart.

"Will, I need to return home immediately!" She ran to him, seeking his warmth, touching his arm, then clutching him.

"Good God! what is the matter?" he caught her, one hand around her waist to steady her, "come, sit down, are you ill?" and helped her to sit in the passenger seat of the cart. He retained her hand in his.

"No, there is nothing wrong with me. I have had some awful news from home," and she lost it then, the tears rolled out in waves. He crouched down next to her, still with her hand in his. "I've had a comm from Juno. Luna has gone missing during a firefight in L.A. There is another intern missing."

"I am so sorry. I am grieved to hear you have to bear such news. When did this happen, can you give me details?"

"This was last night. Juno did not say which section of town but there was heavy fighting and a number of people were hurt, including Col. Forster, who was hospitalized. The Colonel spent the night in the hospital with Jessica at her side so neither of them noticed that Luna was missing from what I understand. Somehow they pieced together that both she and this other intern, Brian, snuck off to watch the fight or attempt to be part of the action but now both are missing. The worst part," she sniffed though it did little to control her tears or her emotions, "the worst part is that apparently now George Wickham has gone missing too. I do not think that is a coincidence. I can only imagine her body lying in a ditch, cut up for scrap." And she lost it then. Her grief was complete; her shoulders shook as she sobbed, and she raised her free hand up to cover her eyes as though she could hold back the tears.

Not releasing her hand he stood up, leaned over and gathered her into his arms and then nestled down on the seat with her snug in his arms as she wept. She fit into the crook of his arm with her head buried on his chest and bawled at the loss of her sister for she could only imagine one outcome. Will held her until she could cry no more. He held her with no attempt to pat her back or stroke her hair, his arms enveloped her and he held her and let her cry.

LizE finally came to a state of awareness and realized her tightly clenched fists were clinging to Will's wet shirt; her cheek was pressed to his chest. She slowly released her fingers and pulled away to sit up. There was nowhere to move and Will only relaxed his grip on her without releasing her.

"I need to be home. Poor Juno, poor KitE! My whole family must be grieving about this news." She wiped at her face missing many tears.

"And you've received no more news?"

"No, though I wonder if the satellite signal is perhaps poor up here?"

"It can be; you may receive an update as we get you back nearer the house. Are you ready to go?"

"Yes," she understood he meant to drive her to the rental house, back to Aunt Meg and Uncle Ezra. "Scarlet can handle the equipment; I imagine Sam can get the cart back?"

"He can." Tears leaked out from her eyes then at the authority and yet support he exuded with his answers. His grip around her relaxed and a hand went up to wipe the tears from her cheeks including the single tear trailing along her chin. He paused, glancing all over her face at once and then kissed her, his warm hand cradling her cheek. It was tentative, comforting yet expressed everything he felt. He pulled back from the kiss to stare into her eyes and remove one last teardrop with a gentle dab. He maneuvered them out of the buggy, righting LizE on her own feet. "Let's get you back to your family." Opening the silver car door for LizE, he ensured she was seated comfortably and got in.

She was quiet for many minutes as the hill melted away, both of them lost in thought. It was just as Pemberley House came into view that her F.I.D. band rang again.

"LizE, I am concerned at your silence and can only assume work has you so busy you are somehow disconnected from your comms. I have more news, none of it good. Col. Forster sent word she was able to trace Luna and Brian's movements up until the heaviest part of the firefight. Apparently this is not the first time she and Bri have slipped out after-hours. Luna had apparently shared some of these late-night goings on with KitE in personal comms. What isn't clear is what happened to Luna, Brian Epsom and to George Wickham after the chaos, for Josh Denny saw the three of them together, apparently, right before Cpt. Carter was shot. L.A. is such a large town, and there are such a great number of places to hide if you don't want to be found (there are far too many abandoned buildings). And no one is ready to rule out some gang having them. Col. F. is so concerned and Jessica has been near hysterics about this whole event. Dad and Fancy both do not hold out much hope in this whole situation but I simply cannot believe the worst and that Luna is lost to us. I must have hope." LizE had tried not to cry as she read this aloud to Will as he took the curves in the road with practiced ease but Juno's final sentence made her loose her willpower again and weep for many long minutes.

"I long to hear from you and know you are safely on your way back to us. It may be a selfish thought but I can only think that we need each other if we are to weather this. I am comming Aunt Meg and Uncle Ezra to inform them as well and we all wish for Ezra's help. Dad is to go to L.A. to help with the search for Luna and we hope Uncle Ezra would go along as well to help out."

LizE read the last sentence to Will after she recovered herself. Will kept determined eyes on the road. He knew every turn; knew when he could speed; he knew when he had to slow through a curve. She commed a quick and short reply to Juno to say she was coming home as quickly as possible.

"It is too late to do anything now," said LizE, half to Will, and half to herself. "You know all about George to not doubt there is a connection between the disappearances of all three. Who knows how far he might go this time? You said once, explained it all in your letter, what is to prevent him from killing her and this other intern this time?" She thought she might cry but seemed to have run out of tears.

"If it is of any consolation he has never done so before," offered Will. "He has always drawn the line at harvesting. Often he does not bother to replace the organs…" he faltered and did not finish his statement but she recalled that GEO, at least, had been returned to her brother with replacements.

"It never occurred to me to warn Luna about George. She was so young and seemed to follow a different set in the militia," said LizE with despair.

Darcy's hands tightened on the wheel but he said nothing in reply. They drove in silence for a long time each lost in thought. Will exuded none of that cheerful, kind host she had witnessed the previous two days and seemed consumed with his own set of thoughts, an oppressive gloom hanging over him as if he was re-living the whole nightmare with GEO all over again. LizE almost wept anew for the pain she was inflicting on him simply by his association with her. She glanced at his strong hands clenching on the steering wheel, the furled brow, his eyes focused on the still winding, hilly road. Despite that kiss she considered that any man, any human being who has had to deal with such pain and loss as Will had to face with GEO could not possibly want to experience it again. He must be in the greatest of hurries to get rid of her.

That thought, that he would say goodbye readily because to be with her was intolerable did one thing. It made her feelings clear. She turned to stare openly at Will's profile as he drove, his set jaw, his dark eyes fixed on the road, the curl of hair where it touched his shirt collar, and felt she could love him now, love him back, just when he was attempting to rid himself of a parasitic, choking weed, ready to fling her from the car when they reached their destination.

She looked back down at her hands and they drove again in silence. The hills flattened; the colors outside softened and paled and they reached the short street where her rental cottage was located. She did not wonder that he knew where she had been staying.

"I wish there was something I could say that might make you feel better about the whole situation but I do not want to only offer hollow words which require your thanks. I will let my sister know you have been called home unexpectedly."

"Please apologize to her; and whatever you do, do not share what has happened. I fear that may be unbearable to her."

He assured her he would keep her secrets as he parked. She had no luggage, no bag, even her comm screen sat forgotten in the buggy up by the meadow yet he got out when she did and stood, his hand on the roof of the car and watched her walk up the gravel path to the cottage. She turned at the door, to hold a hand up and wave was impossible, but they stared at one another for many minutes before she turned and entered the house.

The house was in an uproar with luggage and equipment waiting by the door, and LizE found herself in an unexpected wild embrace from her uncle as soon as she entered.

"I could never, _ever_ wish anyone's child to go missing," he cried. "No one's little girl." And she knew he was equally anxious to be home to see his own three daughters, his son.

"Did Scarlet get you back here so quickly?" asked Aunt Meg who hugged her next.

"No, Will drove me back. I let him know we won't be coming to dinner."

"Oh…good," faltered Meg wondering at such information from her niece. 'Does he know the news? How did he come to drive her back?' she wondered though she did not ask.

The Gardiners had already packed most of their belongings and Meg came in to help LizE pack, peppering her with questions when she would rather have been left alone. LizE had no more information than the Gardiners did, so could answer none of Meg's questions. Finally Meg remembered a few more comms to send before they departed and left her to pack her socks.

In a short time the car was out front, all necessary comms to Lambton contacts were sent and she and the Gardiners were on the road home.


	47. Chapter 47

Chapter 47

"I have been thinking about it, LizE," said Uncle Ezra as they drove out of town; "and really, we have to think positively about this whole situation. I am beginning to think we need to have hope and see it like Juno does. We do not have many facts about the situation and do not really know how Luna came to be missing or how the others who are missing are related to that. I, as a father and her uncle, would and do hope for the best. You must try to do the same."

"I will try," said LizE though her voice cracked.

"What Ezra says is good advice; we do not have all the facts in the case and must keep our spirits up. If there is some sort of horrible outcome, we must be prepared for that, but I can think of a dozen scenarios to account for Luna's disappearance, not all of them with dreadful endings," called her aunt from the front of the car.

"If George Wickham is involved, I fear there is only one outcome, and it is too…almost too horrible to mention: she's been used for organ harvesting," her voice cracked again as she spoke.

There was silence in the car until a car behind honked at Ezra who had did not notice he had lifted his foot from the pedal and the car was slowing.

"Can you really believe George Wickham capable of something like that?" cried Aunt Meg suddenly. "You mentioned the other day about his lies as regards to his position and inheritance from Darcy Rail, but is he also guilty of such crimes as trafficking in human body parts?"

"I am sure George has had a hand in all of this and that it is about organs and trafficking and that there can be no good outcome. The only good news would be for George who makes money from selling organs on the black market," replied LizE.

"But we have no proof that all three are together, or even that just Luna and George are together, or that this is the scenario that is being played out. Why would you suggest it? Do you really know this about George Wickham?" asked Uncle Ezra.

"He has done this before, many times over the years though he has been a wily fox and never been caught."

"How is it that he would do this now, here and now, and with two young interns who were under the Colonel's watch? That seems incredible speculation. He would be throwing his life and livelihood away for some easy money and at great risk," said Ezra.

"I can only think that he must be desperate for some reason; he must be in great need of money or be under some sort of pressure from old acquaintances who wish him to traffic more body parts to risk his name and his position in the militia. I believe, in the past, this has been more of a side-line business for him. A way to make easy money."

"How do you know all this LizE?" asked Meg.

"When I was in Marin I saw a lot of Will and his cousin Ned and they have filled me in on George's dangerous past."

"Why have you never told anyone about George? Why are you only sharing this with us now?" cried her aunt.

"I shared this information with Juno; she knows all the fact about what George really is; that he has no integrity or honor and is really a monster beneath that gilt."

"But you never told anyone else?" Meg pressed.

"We discussed whether we should make the knowledge public; but the whole Meryton neighborhood thought so well of him and the militia was to go away in a week or two. Besides, as Juno argued, President-for-Life Sanchez has mandated death for human body parts trafficking. We could not, in conscience, say anything for it was a case of having only a man's word (though I trust Will Darcy's word) to hang him with: to condemn someone to death for past crimes. Juno argued to give him a second chance, so we said nothing. It never occurred to me to tell Luna about him. She thought him handsome, but there were others, closer to her age, men she liked better. How was I to even know? I should have opened her eyes to his deceptions," and tears came again thinking of the many ways she might have prevented Luna's disappearance and ruination and probable death.

"And Luna never commed she had any interest in George after she left, even a friendly one where they might sing karaoke or play games together or, I don't know do something with others, as a group?" continued Meg.

"No, there was nothing in her comms at all about him. She mentioned the other intern, we always thought it was a girl as she referred to Brian as "Bri," and she talked a lot about Jessica and Cpt. Carter, but there was never anything about George."

"So perhaps," said Uncle Ezra cautiously, "perhaps her disappearance is not related to George Wickham?"

"I simply cannot believe that," said LizE firmly.

They talked incessantly the whole drive home, repeating the few facts that they knew in an endless loop and conjecturing all the possible outcomes which did not make any of them feel any better and wore them down to raw, gray, bitter creatures, hungry for food and home and information. LizE, if not talking had a swirl of thoughts oppressing her, largest of all was guilt at not having done anything about George before he had left Meryton and so having condemned Luna possibly to her death.

It was over five hours of travel to home, and they were long hours, but eventually the long, winding, gravelly road to the Ben house was turned down and LizE's spirits lifted a modicum at the prospect of seeing her family.

The Gardiner children were eager to see their parents after a week's absence, especially with the gloom that hovered in the Ben house. All four tackled their parents as soon as they got out of the car. Snow, for once, running straight past LizE to tackle her mother.

Juno was there to hug LizE. LizE could see Juno was well, but in her face there were shadows behind her blue eyes.

"Is there any news?"

"Nothing," replied Juno. "I hope with Dad gone, and Uncle Ezra here to help that we will have news soon."

"Dad did go?" It seemed impossible that Tom Ben would act.

"He left first thing this morning, but he has not commed us yet."

"How is Fancy? How is everyone?"

"Fancy is very shaken, this has hit her hard. She will be pleased you are home. Mara and Mark have stayed occupied. KitE is well enough. She's been a big help all week and today."

"But you?" and LizE hugged her again, "You've had so much fall on your shoulders I am sure."

"I am well, LizE." Snow ran up to grab both Juno and LizE's hands and the whole Gardiner family began making their way inside finally, B.C. uncharacteristically, riding piggy-back on Ezra's shoulders.

The whole group trotted into the dining room where KitE was laying out plates and Julia, the oldest Gardiner daughter, ran to help; looking up at KitE with worshipful eyes. Apparently the week had gone well.

Ezra and Meg asked the same litany of questions and Juno repeated the same answers: no news, Tom had gone, no he had not commed. For all the repetition, LizE felt that there was something different about in-person communication rather than comms for all the strides that technology had provided. You could see the real concern on her uncle and aunt's face, hear their voices, something which never came through in comms, even in video comms. You could not hug or hold hands when talking. Not wipe away tears when they fell.

Still clinging to LizE's hand, Snow declared, "LizE! Ms. Turnbull has sent us dinner and there's to be chocolate cake and ice cream for dessert!" She tugged on the hand to make sure her point was made. LizE smiled and then grinned and squeezed Snow's hand tightly in enthusiastic answer. The six year old grinned back.

LizE looked at Juno who was still talking to the Gardiners. Such was the speed of gossip in the era of mass communication, apparently the town already knew about Luna's disappearance if Ms. Turnbull was sending them dinner. She was sure no one in the family had ordered dinner from the café (it would have been something cheeky Luna would have attempted, a thought that made a few tears well up), but no one else would have thought how to feed twelve so easily. They would have banded together to cook, but no one would have planned the easiest thing: ordering food in, except for Luna.

Fancy woke from a nap, though she declared as she entered the room that she had not been able to sleep at all, and joined them for the family meal, everyone all crowded around a table meant to hold eight. The Gardiner children refused to be relegated to a kid's table elsewhere, especially after a week away from their parents, and sat boxed in with all the cousins. As they began to eat, they had to rehash all the details of Colonel Forster's comms, picking through each point.

"This is all so horrid, this whole situation. How could it have happened?" cried Fancy throwing down her spoon into her soup. "How could this happen?" she repeated. "How can she have been kidnapped and cut up for body parts and her corpse flung into a ditch?" She reached for her napkin to blot her tears. "She was not taken care of very well, I am sure Jessica has been distracted, newlyweds you know," she gazed with what she thought was a meaningful look at Meg. "They just had no time for a child." Uncle Ezra looked anxious at the topic but he feared his children had already been subjected to his sister's lurid and horrid rantings since the morning though he may wish to censor her now.

"And this poor other intern, we did not know there would be two interns! And probably a teenage boy besides! Who knows what Luna and this 'Brian' got up to behind the Colonel and Jessica's backs when they weren't looking? Teenagers are all hormones. And so two sets of parents have lost their children; have children lying cold and lifeless somewhere." She cried real tears, dabbing them up with the corners of her napkin. "Luna was sly about this "Bri," she deceived us, you know. None of us knew he was boy."

"Do not assume the worst. Perhaps she is not dead. Maybe she and this young man, Brian, ran away together? We do not know for sure that George means to harvest her or this other young person. We have no proof that the fact that George is missing is nothing more than a coincidence and has anything to do with Luna's disappearance," argued her brother. "We do not know at all that they are together. Perhaps it is some other scenario."

"I would most wish for that. She is young, but not that young…that this is only about sex and not about this horrible trafficking issue," sighed Fancy.

Ezra assured his sister he would leave in the morning and help out in every way he could. "We must all hope for the best and not give in to any gloomy thoughts or speculate too wildly on what has happened. That doesn't help any of us."

"We shall have to prepare ourselves for the worst outcome but we cannot expect it as a certainty. There are so few facts. We do not know who she is with or what her timeline really was last night. We have to be patient," soothed Aunt Meg.

"You cannot know the horrors of knowing a child who has disappeared, possibly been taken from you. If you can find her, dear brother, we shall be forever in your debt. You cannot know the toll this has had on my health. You must tell Tom to do his best as well, you must find Luna!"

Dinner finished and LizE volunteered to clean up, shooing even Snow out of the room. She wanted to be alone. Mark came back in. "Mara went back to work on our project, but I cannot concentrate." He gave her another of his rough brother side-hugs. "It is too horrible to think about, and our sister too!" He started stacking plates as he moved down the table. She could not send him away and his was a companionable silence as they cleared the table and loaded all the dishes and other items to be washed.

88888

In their various ways, each person in the Ben House attempted some distraction that evening. LizE knew Juno would be in her room attempting to focus on Netherfield business, and so was able to find her alone, walking in uninvited to talk.

"Tell me everything you haven't said, or could not say in front of the others, is there any piece you have not shared? Has Colonel F. really said nothing more?"

Juno replied that she had shared everything that Col. Forster had commed. LizE jumped on that.

"There is something else though?"

"Do not be harsh with her LizE; she is young."

"Who?"

"KitE."

"Why? What does she know?"

"She has apparently known that Luna and Brian were sneaking out at night to follow the troops and watch them in action for a number of weeks. They wanted to 'see' action. To join in the fighting if they could!"

"What? Really!?"

"This has been a regular occurrence, apparently, and they were _stranded_ a few times, only making it back in just before they were discovered missing. So you see why I have hope? Perhaps they just got trapped somewhere, in some abandoned building. That this is some horrible misadventure."

"That still does not account for George Wickham."

"Do we need to account for him? Is he of our concern?"

"I still think he is part of it as much as I can wish to subscribe to your 'childhood misadventure' story. Did KitE say _anything_ to anyone about Luna?"

"She's growing up; _changing_, and has been focused on her upcoming Uni studies, but we need to forgive her for still feeling jealous at Luna's having gone to L.A. and KitE being left behind. No, she did not until right before you got home. She actually told Mark and me this about it. We've thanked her for sharing. I sent the information to Dad and Col. Forster."


	48. Chapter 48

Chapter 48

On Monday morning Ezra set out for Los Angeles before it was light. There was a comm from Col. Forster that she had so far been unable to find any trace of the two interns. The Colonel had confirmed that one of the new recruits knew about the interns sneaking out and that they been seen at the edges of the deployments, and even during battles on some nights as if they wished to join in. A long interview with Josh Denny fixed the time the three missing people were last seen, but as Joshua and Mads Carter had been ambushed seconds later they were no further in finding any real details.

Fancy seemed to not be able to keep her tongue or stay in one place and flitted from room to room repeating her worries to anyone who would listen. She worried Tom would not find Luna but also worried Tom would never come home. She worried incessantly for his safety and seemed to only be able to focus on his return. She would run through all the possibilities, the horrid scenarios she could conjure for Luna and wore everyone's patience thin.

Underlying all of her nervous energy was a great deal of guilt for having not taken Luna herself to Los Angeles though she would never admit it. So she worried and carried on and drove her family crazy. Aunt Lily come to visit but was often more upsetting than comforting. She was quite morbid on the subject of the trafficking of human body parts (for she seemed to think that was the only possible reason for Luna's disappearance) and would talk at length about those people, those evil, wicked people, who would sell parts of themselves or whole parts of others for money. Often, she and Fancy would end up in a corner in hoarse whispers exuding such a gloomy air that no one but Juno dared approach them.

News about the situation was all through Meryton and though none knew of George Wickham's foray into trafficking, neighbors gossiped about his "to dos," when he had been a resident. His whole involvement with the King women was ripped bare again and there was even wilder speculation about what had occurred there between the three of them. Many tales of seduction were brought up by local women and some interesting deals in black market goods were mentioned by others, though no one said exactly who in Meryton knew about them (and might have been part of or benefited from them). It was difficult to believe half of the tales, though the Ben family could not discount all of them.

Uncle Ezra arrived in L.A. in what seemed like record time. He found Tom safe and sent a comm to assure his sister that her husband was alive, well, and would be well cared-for. There was nothing to report about Luna's disappearance. The two men planned to search all of the abandoned buildings based on the new recruit's information and KitE's inside knowledge that Luna and Brian had done this before: gotten stuck and might be holed up somewhere and in need of help. Col. Forster was more worried about gang kidnappings and had been tracing the activities of the rioters and the gangs in the past day. The militia was to help Tom and Ezra with the searching as such an undertaking would be impossible for two unarmed civilians.

At home, it was difficult to repulse neighborly visits that occurred all day long. Fancy, still with her bursts of nervous energy often retreated out the kitchen door (once again squeaky, despite its oiling) to a greenhouse, barn or the summer house if the doorbell rang to announce a visitor; the family thought this best since her mood and her incessant talking were not the best representations of the family or of Luna's situation. "Why can they not triumph and gossip about all the ghoulish details from their own homes?" wondered LizE as yet another neighbor brought by a dish of food and tried (and failed) to offer some words of comfort or ferret out news. She and Juno had stayed home from work but began to consider work might be a better choice though it left Mara, Mark and KitE to answer any summons to the door.

Meg and her children had moved back to their own home, but like Aunt Lily, spent most of her waking hours at the Ben house, waiting for news. Monday night there was a final comm from Col. Forster. "There have been some arrests, some round-up of gang members and we have ID'd some of the people involved in the riots that night, but there is no sign of the Missing or any sign that they are known to these people. I am not entirely ready to write off this avenue of inquiry, this possible reason for their disappearance, but I feel it very likely that gang leaders would have negotiated with us, or asked for ransom for Luna and Brian, or bargained in some other way for their arrestees if they had the Missing."

It was news but it did not really make anyone feel any better. The other alternatives seemed equally, if not more, horrific. Either they were stuck in some abandoned building, and had been without food or water for two days, or even worse, they were human subjects for the black market. No one seemed to hold out much hope that the two interns had run away together for some romantic weekend and simply neglected to comm their families. Especially not LizE.

* * *

On Tuesday morning, Aunt Meg encouraged Juno and LizE to return to work. She felt it would be better for them to have some structure rather than to sit around and wait for comms. While it was true that Mara, Mark and KitE were at home, that was also where their 'employment' was, Mara and Mark had their Uni project and KitE had her Uni prep and studies. Meg promised she would sit with Fancy and attempt to keep her occupied and pass on any comms as soon as they came in. Juno and LizE dutifully went to work though the stares from a few colleagues made it difficult and they both chose projects where they could hole up in their respective labs behind closed doors.

The first comm was from Uncle Ezra to state he had no news and that the abandoned buildings search had so far been disappointing. There had been no indication that anyone had been in any of the buildings they had searched so far. LizE felt overwhelmed at the thought of how many hundreds of abandoned buildings there were to search and how long it might take the militia. She was not sure how long the militia would agree to help before giving up. It was a morose thought.

A second comm came to her directly. It had been sent to Tom, but he also cc'd her on its copy. "My Dear Sir: I feel called up, by our relationship and by my situation in life, to condole with you about your current family distress. We were informed of the horrid facts by a comm from Mrs. Lucas. Be assured that Charlotte and I sincerely sympathize with you in your present bitter distress. I can offer you little to alleviate the pain, _you_, as a parent, are suffering. To not know her fate you must almost pray they find the body so you can _know._ I am sure Charlotte would be in agreement with me here. Catherine de Bour, to whom I have discussed this, fears you are destined for bad news at the end. Very bad news, and you must prepare yourselves. She wonders what sort of parents let their children be involved in such dangers, to which I concur. Was this Luna's doing, was it her design? Why was she with the militia? Why was she not home safe under lock and key? Have you truly considered how children are to be raised, dear cousin? Console yourself as best you can and if I can offer you any spiritual guidance, please let me know. The Grand Zephyr has boundless, depthless pools of wisdom from which to tap for any difficulties we face in life. He would help you in this difficult situation if you would but listen and learn from him. Blessings, your cousin, William H. Collins."

After such a comm, LizE found it difficult to work and went to find Juno. Her sister was in her lab, but not busy at work, as she would have expected, Juno sat staring across the room lost in thought. They both agreed that not much work had been achieved in either of their labs and figured they should head for home. During the drive, there were two comms in quick succession. Col. Forster passing on news that a complete inventory of the militia's stores had turned up some missing items, all of the missing items were quite expensive. There was also a note that a number of the officers and the enlisted personnel had chits against Wickham for money; it seemed he liked to play games of all sorts and frequently wagered on the outcomes.

Uncle Ezra also wrote, as Juno read while LizE drove the temperamental Bob, that they were looking for any information about Wickham that they could find and hoped that Juno and LizE would help with doing information searches. They must know a small amount about George from his stay there during the winter and spring, especially LizE (here he seemed to dance around the fact that they had dated…) but could they find out as much as they possibly could as an aid. "I am losing hope with your father's abandoned building search idea. I think we need to consider George Wickham as the instigator in this, and to do that we need to know as much as possible about him. We may be able to dig up something about his past that will be of use to us in finding Luna and this other young man. I have asked Col. F for information too and am to interview all of George's companions. Tom seems quite disheartened by this whole searching business; he really does not have the stomach for it. I am encouraging him to consider going home and to leave the search in my hands—along with the assistance of Col. Forster and the militia, of course. Best, Ezra."

Searches for George Wickham brought up little information on his background. He proved hard to trace or was an expert at leaving no clues. They began to suspect that his F.I.D. band had been tampered with. None of the family were information specialists but it became obvious, as they searched, that only someone who wanted to _not_ be found could leave so little trace in the digital world. No one in the militia had any particular details to share about George. Meg, at Ezra's request, questioned LizE particularly about George, but she could only recall a few details: his parents were dead, his association with Darcy Rail, but no real facts that in any way brought them any nearer to finding out where the missing interns might be. George Wickham was appearing to be, more and more, a wanted man as the amount of money he owed to his fellow corps members amounted to over $100,000. The amount of the missing militia equipment was ten times that amount.

Meg Gardiner was also puzzled about LizE and Will Darcy, though the situation with Luna meant poking her nose into her niece's potential love life was on a much lower ladder rung. Meg could not really tell the extent of the relationship between LizE and Will Darcy. She thought he might comm LizE, or even visit (as half the town had), but there had been no incoming rings on LizE's F.I.D. band since she had returned home.

To LizE, she did not have to wonder why her F.I.D. band was silent, he would not comm and she knew it. Luna's disappearance, her baby sister to be missing and to not know what had happened was so distressful that it was almost unbearable, yet there had been that moment's clarity in his silver car that had solidified her feelings and added one straw's weight to her burden and made her completely miserable. Had she not realized she loved Will Darcy, the situation with Luna might have been a modicum easier to tolerate. Now she so overcome with emotion that she wondered that her body did not break down beneath her and could not really account for how she functioned each day.

She was a numb at work, and completely on auto-pilot, hiding in her lab and avoiding people as much as she could. At home, she shared in helping to prepare meals and distract her mother. When her father returned she found it difficult to greet him with any affection, her body was so without feeling. During discussions about his time in L.A. he turned to her suddenly and said "LizE, you appear justified in your advice to me and apparently have great foresight," a comment that did not make her feel any better, and just sent her fleeing from the room to cry once more because it was the only thing she could do.


	49. Chapter 49

Chapter 49

Work is difficult when you can only imagine your sister's corpse lying unattended somewhere. LizE tried to find projects that she knew could be undone later should she mess them up. She would need someone to review everything she had attempted because she was sure she had messed up something somewhere in the process. It was while she and Juno were lunching together, in silence because they had exhausted the amount of things to share or the words of comfort they could swap when both LizE's F.I.D. band and Juno's comm screen tweeted simultaneously. They read the short comm eagerly but without expectation of hope.

Mark Ben: Good news, come home." The sisters stared across at each other in astonishment and fled home leaving their lunch were it was on the outside picnic tables at Netherfield. It was mostly a stunned silence between them as they drove home, LizE pushing Bob to his limits and for once Bob not protesting.

"It is as I hoped; she is found alive, whole and well," ventured Juno.

"We shall see," replied LizE cautiously, " 'good newss does at least mean she is alive," and her heart swelled and she had to smile with relief at not having to live through the worst of those imagined outcomes: Luna's death and the aftermath. She shed a tear or two of relief at having been spared that.

Mark met them at the top of the hill before the Ben property, flagging them down. "Dad does not yet want this getting around until he talks to you. Park Bob here." It felt odd to sneak into their own house but they did and crowded into Tom's cramped and over-flowing study. He watched his two oldest file in with hooded eyes.

"Ezra has sent an encrypted comm. Mark you read it."

Mark took Tom's screen from his father. "I have found Luna, she is alive. As many of us worried, she has been with George Wickham."

"She is okay!" sobbed Juno bursting into tears.

"She has been used for harvesting and is without her left arm, lung or kidney. He did no replacements."

"Luna, my God," and Juno's knees gave way and sat on a collection of samples that occupied the only extra chair in the room, not having the strength to move them first. LizE had to lean against the desk for support and Mark came to wrap an arm around her.

"Is it possible she is truly alive?" LizE asked the wall behind her father. She felt stunned, still not sure how to feel about Luna's situation, to allow herself emotions again.

Mark continued. "I know of someone who can help to fix her up in such a way that it is undetectable. We can get her the replacement organs she needs, get her an AI arm and have her health restored to her. Comm me back with your answer. All that is wanting is your permission to begin."

Through her tears Juno smiled, "Oh my dear Lord! To have a positive outcome to this. Dad you must comm Uncle Ezra immediately and tell him to do everything he can for Luna!"

"Where has our kindly uncle been that he came across such people who handle such patch jobs?" asked LizE as she stood, still thinking about the whole situation.

"I want to know how much this 'patch job' is going to cost!? $1 million? $5 million? $10 million dollars? I am sure we can repair her, but to be able to do so and have it be undetectable? Is that possible?" asked Tom.

"You cannot put a price on this," said Mark, "you cannot deny her restoration to health because of money!"

"We can repair her, patch her up, and we will have our lamb back from the slaughterhouse," his children winced at the language, "but do we lay down all that money to ensure that no one will know she is a…" he paused, mulling the word over in his mouth,"…a cyborg?"

"We have to do all we can for Luna!" cried Juno, "whatever it takes."

"I am sure your uncle has already spent a great deal of money at this point just to find her, how much more do we spent on her?"

"To think we should be thankful that she will be a cyborg, a social outcast," said LizE who looked from Tom to Juno.

"And I say let her remain one. Why should I spend all my savings, our savings, to fix up such a child, following the militia, pretending to be a soldier, sneaking out at night, is she really my own?"

"How can you say such things? You have been stressed over this whole affair just like the rest of us. You know she is a Ben," cried Juno.

"Do not judge her now, Dad. We all have those moments when we do foolish things. Because your other five children have gotten out of scrapes at little cost to you does not mean this one chind does not deserve your love, attention, help and _financial support_. We have been quite lucky Mara and Mark have yet to blow up anything and not injured themselves or anyone else," argued LizE. She gave Mark a hug. He looked sheepish.

"Is there any mention of Brian Epsom or George Wickham? What of their fate?" asked Juno drying her tears on a sleeve.

"None," said Mark showing her the comm screen though she could not see the print.

Tom was silent a full ten minutes while he read and re-read Ezra's comm seeking hidden meanings. "I need to know what my expenses will be," he finally said, "in detail. And this has to be done for the lowest price possible."

Juno was ecstatic about his decision. LizE could only feel, strangely, numb. Tom commed Ezra his ok, asking that Luna's restoration be cheap. Ezra ensured she would have a quality job for the lowerst price. "You won't even notice."

Relief flooded the three siblings that help was on its way to Luna. "But," and Tom's voice called them back to the room, "she is an outcast to me." They could not argue with him further and stole off to the rumpus room to decide what to tell the world. The true story could not be shared, so they had to fabricate one to tell the rest of the family and the neighbors. And to get Luna to agree to it.

"She is alive," began Juno. "She is alive."

"But society's views about organ trafficking in general and cyborgs in particular…" said LizE. "We cannot mention any of that."

"I know, that is our dilemma," said Mark. They sat, head in hands all three on the old lumpy couch.

"We need to find something close to the truth," whispered Juno.

"We need a lie that works," declared LizE.

"Can we say she ran away with George for," Mark fumbled, " 'kicks?' and has been found?" asked Mark. Juno looked alternately horrified and embarrassed and looked away from her two siblings.

"That sounds so disgusting, to have to say this was about sex. Then everyone will gossip when it is so much more horrible in reality," said LizE.

"But what other story do we tell the neighbors? She got caught in the cross-fire would be a reasonable one to explain the surgery, but not as to why she was missing for so many days," argued Mark.

"Why wouldn't that work?" asked Juno.

"I doubt she could survive wounded for so many days without needed replacement parts, and then we get back to issues about cyborgs and why, so illogically, people fear other people with machine parts."

"So it's to be about sex and her running away?" sighed LizE.

But that was the best solution they could think of. Luna had run off for a romantic fling with George Wickham. They did not need to talk too much about Brian Epsom, no one in Meryton knew him personally. Why George had fled the militia wasn't know or the Ben family's concern. The three siblings promised to not tell anyone the real truth, not KitE, Fancy, Aunt Lily, any of the cousins and especially the neighbors. "I won't even tell Mara," quipped Mark. Juno and LizE had never known an instance where the twins had not shared everything.

"We should tell Fancy," prompted Juno, so they went to find her, which was harder than planned as they had to find her first. She was in one of the greenhouses uprooting weeds but also a number of viable plants as well.

"We have good news Mom," declared Mark and shared their made-up tale.

Fancy, who had been kneeling on a chair while she pulled weeds, listened attentively and her excitement and relief burst out of her as she stood up throwing her hands in the air, one glove flying off in the process to land in the soil.

"She's alive, Luna is alive, my baby is alive!" and she alternatively wept and smiled and motioned for her children to come to her and they obliged and hugged her as if they were all still quite small.

"We must tell Lily she was wrong; she will be so happy," perked up Fancy and they all returned to the house.

* * *

News about Luna spread so quickly around Meryton that they were sure Aunt Lily had mass-commed every single resident with the news. The neighborhood was relieved and assured that they knew it all along.

"That is so like Luna."

"Teenagers! What they do these days. _We_ never did anything like that back in the day."

"Of course it involved a man, and such a man too. If he slept with most of the women in town, why not Luna?"

"Perhaps she was with both? George and the intern?"

There were a few neighbors who expressed concerned, like Mr. Robinson, asking if she had been hurt in the firefight and was she okay now, but only a few.


	50. Chapter 50

Chapter 50

Despite the large, rambling piece of property, Tom Ben did not have a lot of money tucked away. He may not have been good with investments or saving money, but, he knew he would be a fool to sell the land. It had sustained the Ben clan for over 100 years and he was proud of that. Then a situation like this came up and he wondered where his and Fancy's salaries went over all the years besides the obvious necessity of food and clothes for a family of eight. Perhaps he should have put more in a bank instead of funding his own research in lean times. That was now a moot point.

Fancy had some money of her own and he never asked but just assumed she, like him, fueled it into research when she was in her lab (which was not often with six children under foot). Tom Ben was motivated to find out the real cost of Luna's redemption because he hated to be indebted to anyone. His sense and want of independence required it. After having time to think, he did agree (after the anger had drained) to do what was needed to restore Luna to health, full health. It was a difficult thing for him to be put in such a position—to be pulled so far out of his comfort zone to deal with all of this that it took him some time to come to terms with it. From his initial transport of rage he was able to come to grips with what was required and addresses issues and requests as Ezra commed them.

Ezra assured Tom costs were reasonable, far smaller than the millions of dollars he had envisioned. The surgery, the synthetic organs, the AI system for Luna were all more reasonable than Tom had thought. Tom assured Ezra of meeting every expense and was able to focus, once again, on his research. They all continued to be surprised by Ezra's abilities and unending source of contacts LizE wondered if had some previous job before he married Margaret they did not know about that he had such interesting and useful contacts. Scientists do not often know black-market surgeons.

* * *

Fancy was ecstatic that everything had turned out so well for Luna. She did not consider what the ramifications might be, psychologically for her daughter, of an episode into the outside world to a person, a child still in many ways, who had largely been quite sheltered, and an episode that involved a man over twelve years older when she was just sixteen (and who had such an unsavory reputation with women). Let alone the true tale which remained with those who saw Ezra's initial encrypted comm to Tom.

Tom maintained his stance about Luna remaining an outcast to him. He was not able to articulate why to Juno and LizE when pressed, he only insisted, in his bull-headed way, he did what a father must but he was not happy about it. He somehow felt he should not have to support Luna any more, as if she were launched on her own now. He refused to let her come home after her surgery and recovery.

* * *

Fancy, not knowing the truth, tackled Tom about his prudishness. "How can you be so hung up on sex? Remember what we got up to when we were waiting for assays to finish during our Uni years? You can't be so close-minded to not think your children haven't done the same thing."

"I suppose it is different when it's your own children," he paused. "You think all of our children have been…" he was amazed at his wife's frank discussion of his children's sex life.

"Yes, most of them, though I do not know for sure about Juno, she's always been 'work, work, work.' I wonder if that Chaz didn't finally get around to opening that door for her which has made his disappearing so difficult and her so miserable: first love and all. But for sure Mara and Mark. They're engineers: trial and error, reporting results," she did not give specifics. He looked intently at her.

"Littlebit?"

"Oh yes, there was that nice young man she did a lot of karaoke with."

He sat still for a minute. "Do you know…George?"

"No…no, I think there was too much going on last winter. They did not date much; she always came home in short order."

"Dare I ask?"

"She never knows what she wants, our KitE, it is _hard_ to be the fifth child and she always adopts and does what everyone else does but she is really skittish underneath. Frankly, I think she is too scared, not that there isn't a strong competitive side to her. That is why, old Scrooge, I think we need to support her idea of going away for Uni if she wants, _despite the cost_. It is the first original idea she has had."

* * *

If Luna was not to come home after her surgery the question of where she should go was bandied about. Ezra sent some suggestions. She might be able to continue with the militia and be sent to Florida for basic training and then a deployment, though there was the question of her age: sometimes they took seventeen year-olds, but they may not consider a sixteen year-old. A boarding school was also mentioned, in one of the Carolinas, where she could focus on her grades and make up for missing almost six months of school. This was a costly option and put Tom into a funk just thinking about the cost.

Mara asked if there was some relative Luna could stay with and after enduring a glare from Juno, the family realized it was a valid question and a valid possibility, but there were no distant relations besides William Collins (Aunt Lily was too close to home). William C.'s calling in life and stronger sense of morality might not approve of the cooked-up story of a weekend love affair. They had no other close 'distant relatives' to send her to live with. Tom finally relented and agreed to have Luna return home after her recovery period. If motivated by money (or being able to save it), he did not say.

* * *

Luna was sent to Texas for her surgery. Ezra assured the family she would be transported by rail with a militia guard. Brian, apparently, was to go too (though only the three privileged siblings knew about his fate). She would be gone a number of weeks and officially they were told of a quarantine situation which prevented her from coming home right away. Of a possible dangerous virus. Mrs. Lucas was pleased Luna stayed away and some others did worry about her then coming at all as, 'where there's smoke, there's fire.' The Ben family had to craft a small PR campaign, of sorts, with their neighbors to ensure them that the weeks' delay between news of Luna's discovery and her arrival home did not mean disaster for Meryton in terms of some plague she would bring with her.

There was a final note from Ezra to say that once he saw Luna off to Texas he would return home but was going to take his whole family on a holiday. He would come collect Meg and the children and they would set off for a secret destination. The whole situation made him realize he needed family time away from work and he would brook no arguments from Meg, allow no work equipment to be packed and insisted that they have a proper vacation. He was home only half a day before the Gardiner clan drove off giving them barely time to express their thanks to him in person.

* * *

LizE worried that she had shared and should not have, in the distress of the moment, the detail about George's involvement with Will. She could have glossed it over and said simply 'Luna is missing,' and not mentioned George's disappearance as well; she should not have expressed her fears for Luna as sharing the same fate as GEO. She was sure it would forever keep Will at arm's length, be an impassible gulf between them and make it too painful for him to associate with her, to be with her when Luna's situation would forever remind him of his failings with GEO. It was one thing when it was only a possibility that George was involved but it was different now that it was almost the exact repeat of GEO's experiences. She knew Will would keep her secret and did not fear it spreading through him. He had obviously been seeking her out, courting her, to use the old-fashioned term, during their run-in at Pemberley but his love for her could not possibly withstand this. She wished every minute of every hour of every day that he would comm and he did not. Proof that he could stand her no longer.

She only had his one video comm to view over and over in the dark hours when she could not sleep. She would pause it and stare at his face. She thought of the kiss. Was it a goodbye kiss, one simply of comfort? She had been so distressed that she had not kissed him back, returned it with any sort of affection. Had he given up on her because she, distressed by the news, had been unable to respond? She had kissed a number of men, even George to her regret, but they all paled in comparison to a small, delicate, comforting kiss from Will. And she was never to repeat it; never to be given the opportunity to respond back, bare herself to him.


	51. Chapter 51

Chapter 51

By early September, Luna was finally cleared to come home. She was come to them by rail, arriving in Emeryville at the trans-continental station there. The family was surprised that Mara offered to pick her up: she who never usually took any sort of break from her Uni projects. Mara dutifully drove the electric car across and Bay and back again, bringing Luna home to them.

Juno and LizE were so anxious that they had not been able to eat all day; neither could imagine the trauma of all that Luna had experienced. If they placed themselves in Luna's shoes they were sure they would be miserable after such an adventure and with such a recovery. As soon as the car drove up, Mara got out and walked up the hill to her new greenhouse without saying a word. Fancy wept as Luna approached; Luna looked absolutely the same, perhaps a shade thinner than she had been before she went away, but LizE was not able to notice any physical difference. Luna screamed in excitement and ran to hug her mother and then KitE. She then demanded hugs from all of her siblings, declaring breathlessly, "oh it is so good to be back; you all look exactly the same, how boring that is! I thought for sure something might have happened, some little thing might have changed while I was gone, but it is same old, same old."

LizE examined her closely as she hugged her and could not see any signs of her cyborg parts; with her sister she could examine her more closely than she could GEO.

They filed inside, Luna talking non-stop about her trip home, the sights from the train window, all the people she'd met during the journey and how dull home seemed in comparison. Luna was completely unphased by her whole experience. She was exactly the same as when she had left: untamed, unabashed, wild, noisy and fearless.

"It has been four months since I went away but it only feels like a couple of weeks. What fun I have had in my time away—far more fun than any of you from your comms. The militia is so exciting but watching the fighting—how thrilling that was! I don't see why you all just want to sit around in labs and study or stare at comm screens or seedlings or soil samples—_boring_! You should really try the militia with patrols and drills and learning about weapons and how to track targets and gathering information. It is like all those games we have played since I was small but _real_ and you can't imagine the _thrill_ you get from it all. Why isn't anyone else in the family interested in the militia?"

Tom look annoyed and provoked, red in the face, and seemed ready to get up and leave the room with such a display from his youngest. She was so unchanged by her experience; he obviously expected more from his 'investment.' Fancy thought she would faint. Mark turned green; KitE had to reach out and hold his hand. They were a family of peaceful scientists; it seemed so odd that they had such a creature as part of their family.

She readily discussed the riots the previous month. How Joshua Denny and Captain Carter were wounded, though no one was killed. "I wasn't supposed to be there, but Bri and I snuck near the lines like we always did (we had 'borrowed' guns, just to be safe) and watched the fight. It was so exciting!" Tom looked up from his comm screen again and looked at Juno who was quite distressed.

"You know I told Mara all about it in the car. We would sneak out, Brian and I, and use the Tracker to locate where the patrols were and follow them. Sometimes nothing happened and we would be out all night in the cold and dark with rats, but sometimes we got lucky! And there were these terrific gun fights with these gangs jumping out and shooting at the militia who were just patrolling like they were supposed to. They are really bad shots and have awful weapons, really old-fashioned things, so the militia always over-powered them, out blasted them. Though one time there was that new recruit who got shot in the leg. Oh my, the blood—you never saw so much blood! They bandaged him up and got him back to the barracks, but then we got lost that time and stuck in this building and couldn't get out and we almost didn't make it home in time. And poor Bri had further to go because he was staying with Corporal Rogers. And then last Saturday, that was so terrible, so many screams and people hurt and _blood_, and then George Wickham was there; he said to keep us safe…"

LizE had to leave the room at the ugliness of it all and with a real fear that Luna would give away all their secrets. She ran away to the barn and wasted the afternoon grooming Rowan and hunting for eggs like she used to completely ignoring the piles of work waiting for her from Netherfield.

She was coming in with a cache of five hard-found eggs in the late afternoon when Luna pounced on her. "LizE—there you are! Everyone else is back to work or studying. Even KitE is boring now, studying? Uni? Who would have thought? Let me make you an omelet while I tell you about the rest of my adventure. You missed the part when George, Brian and I got separated from the rest of the militia," she nattered as she gathered bowl, pan and whisk.

"The fighting was so terrific then; that luddite gang was picking off militia members like they were cans and blood everywhere, oh my God, the blood, I never knew people had so much blood in them," she frowned cracking eggs one by one. "It was then that George told me how he felt about me, how pretty I was, blue eyes and all (they are rare, you know), and well, we did it." Luna grinned wildly as though there was a big secret coming next.

"Then we decided we wouldn't be missed for a few days so he got us a place north of L.A. somewhere, out of the way, sort of near this big preserve or something. We were like two rabbits all holed up…you never told me how much fun sex was, though I suppose I could have guessed!"

"What happened to Brian," LizE asked with burning curiosity, though interrupting Luna's monolog was difficult.

Luna got a funny look on her face and looked across the kitchen at the wall opposite. "It's…he just _disappeared_. I think he went AWOL, he went missing again…" she looked back at LizE then her face brightened again and she flashed her cheeky smile, then frowned. "But it did get boring with no extra clothes and just that one little café to eat at morning, noon and night." She frowned even more, looked down at her bowl, then looked up smiling, "but we were like love birds."

LizE was having a hard time listening to Luna as her teenaged sister finished cracking the eggs and whisked an omelet for them, pouring the eggs into a pan. LizE felt a captive audience, there was no way to leave with Luna cooking for her, and with Luna not being able to answer the question about Brian's disappearance she was disturbed and intrigued and kept her seat.

"Then, finally, there was that day we quarreled something fierce and then that man who was such a biter showed up, you know, Mr. Darcy, and asked if I was okay and would I care to go home or back to the regiment. And George wouldn't say a word to persuade me to stay so I said yes."

"Mr. Darcy?" LizE leaned over, both elbows on the table to catch Luna's eyes.

"Yes, he came and talked to me as we were eating, and like I said George and I had this huge fight because I had no clothes and we never went anywhere. We just kept having sex and then we'd go out to eat at the café. So when Mr. Darcy said he would take me home or back to the Colonel and Jessica or somewhere I said I would go. Who knew we would have this horrible quarantine and I wouldn't be able to see anyone for weeks. _That_ has been the hardest part of all! I haven't had _any_ fun for so _long_! We couldn't go out and do anything—no fun, no excitement. After sneaking out after the troops at night, playing games inside is so boring.

"You know," said Luna with a glazed look in her eye, "I think I am not supposed to talk about Mr. Darcy, there was this car ride, it was dark, and then we got to this place full of people, and it was bright, and Uncle Ezra was there." She stopped talking, the glassy eyed look still on her face, and attended her omelet, plating it and dividing it in two for LizE and herself. Luna recovered her voice after she dug back into her portion of the omelet.

It was hard to stay and eat Luna's omelet and to continue to hear her talk of her adventures; it was obvious that she only selectively remembered them and LizE wondered how this could be. But more than anything, she wondered how it was that Will Darcy had come upon Luna and George in that café and taken her home. And what had really happened to Brian? Luna mentioned they all get separated together during the firefight, but did not seem to be able to account for him in any significant way after that. As soon as she could, she gobbled down the omelet and headed to her room to comm her uncle in private and beg for her questions to be answered.

It was a situation she could never have imagined, an activity she would never have attributed to Will. Her conjectures as to the meaning of such actions were rapid and wild as they hurried through her brain, but she was satisfied with none of them. Those that seemed the most heroic also seemed wildly improbable. She commed her uncle about what Luna has said and noted the inconsistencies in Luna's story and Luna's own jarring behavior. She ended with "comm me instantly and tell me everything about why someone not connected to our family should have been involved in her retrieval. Was it pure chance? Had Will Darcy been looking for her deliberately?"


	52. Chapter 52

Chapter 52

To her utter frustration, Ezra did not immediately comm her back. It was not until they had almost finished their dinner; all of them seated around the table that her F.I.D. band rang.

She excused herself from the table and ran away, outside to the barn, to read it in private. LizE actually nestled down in Rowan's stall as the best place to hide to ensure she could read all that Uncle Ezra had to say, for though she could only see a few lines on her F.I.D. band, she could tell from those lines that he had answered her questions as far as Will Darcy's involvement in Luna's recovery.

"My dear niece, I have finally carved some time to answer your comm. After insisting that the entire family take a break from work, and by some extension, technology, I have had to sneak away to address your questions, so forgive my not being able to respond to them immediately. I am a bit surprised by your asking at all; I had been motivated to help Luna, with Will Darcy's assistance, understanding that there was more of a…friendship…between the two of you. However, your questions do at least allow me to shift the credit away from my shoulders on to his. It was Darcy who commed me that Thursday morning to say he had both Luna and Brian Epsom; he had found them, rescued them from their captors (for though it was George Wickham who had lured them away, he was not the one who took their organs). Will had, apparently, left Lambton at the same time we did and had headed straight to Los Angeles to hunt for the missing threesome. He told me, when I asked him, that his motivation was that he knew about the criminal background of George but had never put a stop to him. He said his pride, his position as a CEO had stopped him from doing or saying anything about George before; he had worried how it would look for the CEO of Darcy Rail to be mixed up in such a business as ferreting out the bad activities of an ex-employee. He now felt he had to remedy an evil which was his fault for having not spoken up. If there was another motive I am sure it was a good one. He knew more about George Wickham than we did; which was also another reason for him to try to help. Remember how I wished for all of your help in finding out any information about George? Well, Will knew of an ex-Darcy Rail employee: Angela Younge who had worked for the company for many years, but had been dismissed for sharing company secrets. This woman and George had remained in touch over the years and he was able to locate her, eventually, not in L.A. (where we were all searching!), but up in Ventura. She, after some _persuasion_, told Will where George and the interns were staying: up in a little town called Santa Josefina near the National Forest (quite near Lambton and Pemberley actually). I say persuasion, I get the sense that she required an out-right bribe from Will for the information, but pay up he did in order to know where they were. It seems that, though President-for-Life Sanchez has closed the borders on all federal parks until 2092 there are a number of people who feel quite at home in them: criminals. I fear that our national parks, once national treasures for all citizens to use have become the sole property of drug dealers who clear-cut the trees, grow crops to sell, or set up illegal pharmaceutical labs to process drugs for mass distribution. They also set up make-shift field hospitals for organ harvesting. In some cases they have even begun to set up permanent facilities, if the national park is large enough to house and hide such facilities. In our case, I believe we were lucky that they had to set up a mobile hospital; and that they were willing to keep the donors alive. This meant they had to spend time gathering people, resources and equipment once they had their targets: Luna and Brian. This also gave George the chance and time to seduce your sister, though I would use far stronger words about his actions there—a child of sixteen! Monday, they took Brian's organs and by the end of Tuesday they took Luna's. I do believe they meant to provide them both with cheap, synthetic organs and were waiting for delivery (having kept them stable, thank God), but Will was able to finally discover the facility hidden in the middle of the forest and negotiate their release Wednesday evening. It took over nine hours to get the two of them transported away, for it was six hours just to get a medical transport to come up from L.A. (there were not necessarily paved roads to be had in that forest) and another three to get them to the hospital where I saw them on Thursday. There is, ironically, a small medical facility snuggled up near the military base on the coast south of Ventura that apparently handles black-market surgery. When I received the comm from Will that he had them both, it was a frantic two hour drive from where I was in L.A. to see them. You can imagine how surprised I was to hear from him and that he not only had _news_, but he had _them_. They were in such a state that I wept; I can openly share that with you, and is an image I cannot _ever forget_. Brian was a little worse off, health-wise, because he had been the first harvested. It was why, when I had seen them both off to Texas that I had to come home and whisk my own brood away to cherish for a little while. You have asked about George: he was gone by the time Will had arrived at the mobile surgical facility. He had been paid off, making probably $2 million dollars as his share of this horrible crime. Will said that his first focus was to ensure the health and recovery of Luna and Brian, but he would continue to search for George Wickham. He let George's associates know that should George ever show his face to Will again, or appear in public, seek any sort of employment, he would turn him over to the federal militia to be tried for organ trafficking. Officially he is AWOL as far as the militia and Col. Forster also has pending charges of theft for the missing equipment. I do not know if there are to be charges for all of the money he cheated from his fellow corps members or not. And as for Luna; you mentioned how jarring her homecoming was, how grating her personality has been to you all and that you could not believe she was not more changed by her experiences. We all thought it better that Luna not know, not remember what she had been through: the horrors of her true experience. In two to three years, when she is an adult, they will tell her after she has had some more life experiences under her belt. But she was catatonic that first morning when I got to see her, LizE. No one in the Ben family would have recognized her; such a sight would have crippled all of you. There has been a team of doctors to care for her, courtesy of Will Darcy, including a psychiatrist who felt Luna needed to forget right now. Brian Epsom is 18 and was given the choice and opted to retain his memories. He is now in a psychiatric facility working through his nightmare; it will be months before he can assume any sort of normal life. Luna knows nothing of what has been done for her, to her. This has just been a fun adventure as far as she recalls. It has been grating, to be sure, to be around her and hear this fictitious story but it is for the best. I doubt she could have held her tongue and you know how people feel about cyborgs. I if can say; I am amazed by all that Will has done. His motivations, his reservations in years past about not having acted or done enough are good enough reasons but I still believe there are some very personal reasons for his acting now. He can be quite stubborn (he seems to be accused of so many bad traits, but this is, I think is his real fault) and he was quite insistent about doing everything himself. He did not call for my help once he spoke to Ms. Younge, but only after he had tackled their captors, rescued the interns and whisked them to safety did he comm for me to come. In some ways, your questions have been a blessing as they allowed me to place the credit fully in his corner. But still, your questions also indicate that you did not know he was to go to L.A. to look for Luna after bring you to us that day, that he found her, that you have known nothing of Will Darcy's part in all of this. Have your aunt and I read too much into your relationship? Has he not commed you since your return home? Forgive me if I am an old, interfering uncle. But at least, let me tell you how much I like him, how much I enjoyed our visit to Pemberley and wish, if possible, some day to visit there again."

LizE did not know, when she finished, how she felt about these revelations. When she began, she had vague and unsettled suspicions as to why and how Will had been involved; she had imagined a few scenarios where he had done a great deal (while waiting for Ezra to return her comm), but dismissed them as improbable, impossible; she dreaded they were just from some heavy sense of obligation, but they were all true. He had done so much; he had done it all. He had purposefully gone to L.A. to find Luna, found George Wickham; all this for a girl to whom he had no connection, no interest. All of it also, a repeat of what had occurred a year ago with GEO; all of it had to be a nightmare for Will to have to experience again.

Her heart did whisper that he had done this for her, but it was a hope checked by other considerations. He had accomplished much; though even LizE's vanity could not allow that a man would do so much just for her simply because he loved her deeply. He had given a reason for his actions which did not require imagination, it was reasonable that he should feel injustice had occurred; he certainly had the means and resources to help and though she would not consider herself as his only influence, perhaps he was motivated, on some small level, to alleviate her suffering.

In a nutshell, they owed the restoration of Luna to him. She thought back over their whole sorted history together and grieved over saucy speech she had ever directed towards Will, missives about California wine, practically everything said to him when they were in quarantine, the entire ugly exchange that was his proposal and her withering rejection. Her stomach cramped up thinking of how much she had misjudged him, but she was proud of Will, that in such a situation he had been able to think and act and to find Luna and bring her home to her family.

"Why are you hiding away with Rowan?" asked her brother, peeping over the stall door before he pushed it open.

"Oh, Mark!" and tears leaked out she could not help, "I've had a comm…"

"Not bad news?" He came and stood in front of her, looking down on her, standing tall and strong and looking quite grown-up to her suddenly, not her baby brother. She shook her head and wiped at the tears.

"You know how we kept wondering how Uncle Ezra knew all these people to help Luna? Patch her back up?" Marked nodded, attentive. "It's from Uncle, about Luna." Mark looked puzzled then and settled his frame down next to LizE.

"Luna let slip that it was actually Will Darcy who rescued her."

"That conceited git?" Mark exclaimed. LizE frowned, wishing all her diatribes about Will had been softer or not been noticed by the family. Or, she had been more open about her Marin and Lambton visits.

"He is not so conceited, but yes, it was Will that sought them out, found them, knew how to get them the help they needed."

"Why?" He asked with doubt though also with a little curiosity. She outlined the same reasons Ezra gave in his comm, explained most of the comm though skipping over any reference to a relationship between her and Will Darcy. Mark listened without interruption and then sat thinking for many minutes afterwards. "He's a complex man, this Will Darcy, guess we misunderstood him."

"Yes," agreed LizE. They sat in silence, breathing in the smell of hay. Rowan did not seem to mind sharing his stall with the two of them. LizE suddenly threw her hands around her brother in a great bear hug. "How are you? How is Mara, truly? I have not checked with her or you for a long time."

He tolerated the hug, dipping his head down to knock against hers. "We have the twin thing going, true, but I don't always know what's going on with her. But she has her Uni work and that seems to make her happy. But it is not been enough for me. I have been watching you and Juno and even Luna and it makes me want something more, like I need to go on a journey of my own, though I don't know what that would be."

"I hope you figure it out. The best way to start on a journey is to take the first step."

"You old, wise woman," and he started laughing and LizE joined in.

* * *

It became increasingly obvious that Luna was set on a career in the militia. Tom's prediction that she return with her tail between her legs had not happened: she was more than ever fixated on the militia as a career. The entire episode had simply sharpened her resolve to pursue such a path. Luna even talked about needing to pull her grades so she could at least finish high school to be eligible to join as soon as she turned eighteen.

There were long discussions about her options. There seemed no choices, no options for her locally, no relation, near, far or even across the country to send her to live with. Because she expressed so much interest in the military and was willing to work on her schooling as a trade-off for the option to join when she became of age, a military school for teens was bandied about. There was one in Florida, and Mads Carter was to be deployed nearby, partially for recovery and partially as a new billet and would be on-hand if Luna needed someone near. It still seemed impossible to the rest of the Ben family that such a creature, such a blood-thirsty one, had been born and raised among them.

There was a last-ditch effort to try to get her to change her mind. Juno tried to take Luna under her wing, taking her to work and showing her the ropes at the Netherfield Institute, but Luna was not interested. Juno became exasperated beyond her usual calm self. Mark attempted to get her interested in engineering; (Mara refused to participate at all), but Luna was steadfast in her plans to join the militia when she was eighteen.

LizE found she had a difficult time being around her, catching the little memory slips and she could not decide if she wished for her to have full knowledge of what had happened or if she wished to protect her and ever see that catatonic version of Luna that Ezra had seen.

They all finally relented under her constant barrage that it was what she wanted though most of the family hoped that she would still, somehow, grow out of her stated plans when she was of age. Mads Carter and another junior officer rode up from Los Angeles to fetch her in late September and escorted her via rail to Florida and to school.


	53. Chapter 53

Chapter 53

It was on the last Friday in September that Juno's manager informed her that Charles Bingley was due the following Monday and that the director expected Juno to attend an all-day meeting to discuss research with their investor. She turned to say LizE was expected too; LizE happened to be present as she was waiting for Juno so they could drive home.

In the car, Juno brought up the subject of Chaz's visit. "I know you'll want to talk about it and perhaps I looked startled when Dr. Galleta brought us the news and said we'd have to be prepared for the meeting on Monday with him. But I think I was just being self-conscious because everyone knew our little history and people like to gossip. I can assure you I have no real thoughts or feelings about his visiting Netherfield. I hope this is just a quick trip, the one day and he goes." She paused, "though I do hate that people gossip so much."

LizE was not sure what to say or whether to say anything at all. When she and Chaz had spoken at the Lambton Institute it had been obvious that he still thought a lot about Juno and while it was possible for him to be _just_ coming to Meryton to check on his investments LizE thought he was also coming to see her sister.

"Do we even tell Fancy he is to come?" asked LizE, "she might go over the top." Juno asked that they keep this news a secret and she would prepare her research presentation in her room over the weekend without mentioning it to anyone else in the family. LizE agreed to keep her prep under wraps as well.

Juno was affected, despite her little speech and far quieter the whole weekend; it was obvious to LizE that his coming did affect her. "I'm busy, so much to do," she declared when asked by anyone in the family. LizE wondered if Chaz was coming _with_ Will's permission or without. She thought a lot about Will's letter and though it had been burned she still knew its contents by heart. And she remembered everything that Ned had told her that morning of Will's care-taking, Chaz's 'whimsical' nature and being unsure of himself. But Will had been mistaken about Juno's feelings for Chaz; and wrong, entirely wrong, about Alex Morris and those dark gropings at the party. Even if Will had not commed her to tell her he loved her, or even just reached out at all (and she wondered why he was so silent any minute she could not distract herself with some other task), did she comm him about Juno and Alex? She worked on her resolve to figure out how exactly to tell Will Darcy he had been mistaken about what went on in that dark room.

* * *

Monday they were late getting out the door as somehow news _had_ reached Fancy that Chaz was in town and who rejected Juno's first three work outfits and who had sent her upstairs to change multiple times until satisfied. Aunt Lily had commed Fancy the news that apparently Cassandra Nicholls had been seen in town buying groceries for the visiting Chaz Bingley.

When they arrived at the Netherfield Institute LizE saw a familiar silver car. The sisters made a few excuses for being late which were accepted: Bob's temperament was well known. They walked into the conference room to see Chaz Bingley, coffee cup in hand surrounded by a group of the top scientists at the Netherfield Institute, and Will Darcy. LizE, who felt out of place with so much of the senior staff around the table, slipped in and sat next to Juno.

Juno looked from Will to LizE with surprise and some concern. LizE had not shared much of what had gone on during the Lambton visit, the issue with Luna encompassing all of their time and attention and she had said nothing of Ezra's comm. Juno, feeling flustered already with Chaz in the room, had that feeling heightened by imagining what LizE must feel at suddenly seeing Will Darcy. She could only imagine LizE was embarrassed to see him after he had given her that explanatory letter which she had then burned so unceremoniously in the fireplace without knowing of their meetings at Pemberley. Juno only thought of him as the man whose proposals were so chaffing, so offensive, but who had declared his love for her sister by proposing marriage in a day and age when few married. He was also a man whose merits had been grossly undervalued, both by LizE and by Meryton society. LizE thought instantly of Luna and all they owed him for what he had done; how much her feelings for him fluttered up to the surface just in his presence, and she wondered whether his presence here was to support Chaz, or was he there, perhaps, to see her?

There was a lot of discussion over numbers and results in the room. Dr. Nishino went through a detailed report LizE had never see. She supposed it had been prepared especially for Chaz. At first it had been all business between Chaz and Juno but that softened, more and more; there were glances at each other as Dr. Nishino and the collected senior scientists wove through the report. After a break they all came back and the two former lovers sat next to each other.

LizE was called on to talk about her field work. Her presentation was especially good about her time at Rosings and her results. She felt she had never wanted to impress an audience more and had probably never succeeded so well. She could feel his eyes on her when she spoke, somehow single his out from all the other pairs, though she would always skip over his dark eyes as she scanned the room and talked or trolled for questions.

She sat down and felt happy to then take a more back seat and listen and not worry about her facts and her delivery and whether she would stumble over her words with Will Darcy looking at her. She thought what they owed him, what he had done for Luna, what he had done for the Epsom family. Did they know anything; realize that their son had been restored to them by Will Darcy? Comming with the Epsom family, about their mutual cyborg children, was impossible so she could only wonder.

If she did look his way he seemed more intently studying her sister than doing anything else, like listening to the current speaker, or studying his comm screen, or even looking her way. He was quite thoughtful and showed none of that desire to please he had shown before, that outgoing man-of-business like he had been that morning at the Lambton Institute. LizE was disappointed he was so reserved and then angry with herself for feeling like that.

It had been almost a year since Chaz had reviewed spreadsheets and research reports and there was a lot to go over; the losses that the Institute had incurred with the break-in, all the new avenues of research that his under-writing had allowed and how they were flourishing. There was some discussion about how strong some anti-luddite gangs were, how the anti-luddite sentiment rallied against _any_ research since the GMO crop failures and whether there needed to be money put into some PR campaigns with other institutes to highlight the benefits of what they all did in gathering native plants and seeds, searching for a cross-section of botanicals to promote diversity so nothing like the GMO failure would ever occur again.

During all the discussions and presentations, LizE, like Will, watched the interactions of Juno and Chaz. When Chaz first saw Juno he had not given her any more attention than anyone else in the room but after the break, when they sat next to each other, then he found himself losing a minute out of every five just looking at her and not paying attention to the presenter. She was as intelligent, as sweet and as beautiful as he had remembered her that past November, though not as talkative which he simply put down to the constraints of the large meeting.

There were some staff who watched as well and LizE was worried about the gossip that would be traded at the next break or for sure by the end of the work day about Juno who had so feared it the previous fall. LizE wished, at that moment, that both Chaz and his friend, who had yet to really speak to LizE, would go away and leave Netherfield and never come back. After enduring all the neighbors' gossip from Luna's situation she did not want to relive being the subject of Meryton gossip yet again.

LizE felt tortured as the morning wore on, listening to reports about information she mostly knew about when all she wanted to do was speak with Will. She wanted to talk to him as before, like at Pemberley or even at Lambton. And wanted to say something to him about Juno and Alex but never found an appropriate opportunity in the crowded conference room where they were separated by people and space and their own restraints.

* * *

Will had followed the discussion for a while but took out his comm screen and studied it, tuning out the chatter of scientific talk. LizE watched him, having tuned out the discussion of results and returns. A beep on his comm screen was answered quickly—he looked up to see if it disturbed the flow of conversation—and answered it, then picking up his satchel and left the conference room.

On impulse, LizE got up to follow him. There was no one in the hallway at the moment so she called out to him.

"Will!" He turned with a serious look on his face as though distracted by his thoughts. If she thought or expected him to break into a friendly smile as at Pemberley; she was disappointed. They stood a meter or so apart. "You were wrong."

He frowned then and her stomach dropped that this conversation was not what she had envisioned it to be, "about Alex Morris and Juno that night of the party, in the dark. He had been chasing after Juno for months." She looked both ways to see that the hallway was still clear, "he wasn't taking no for an answer and was jealous of Juno and Chaz dating. So he sort of grabbed her that night…mauled her…said some ugly things in the dark that you heard, took wrong…"

Something of despair or regret showed in his dark eyes before the businessman demeanor came crashing down and his face became a mask. LizE wished he would say something but could not explain further, or give any more details. Will looked down at the space between them. He pulled his satchel open and took out a comm screen.

"You left this behind in the buggy. I am sorry I have not returned it until now," and he held it at arm's length without moving any closer to her. She stared at his hand, a strong one engulfing her screen and thought of his hands holding her as they sat in that buggy while she cried. She looked up at him but his eyes were fixed only on the object in his hand.

"Thank you for bringing it back. I have missed it." She somehow managed to take it from him without touching his hand and he turned and walked away his eyes on his comm screen and work.

* * *

Lunch was ordered in and they all ate together. Chaz talked with animation to all of the Netherfield staff, though he still maintained his seat next to Juno. She seemed happy enough, as far as LizE could tell, not being able to privately pull her aside to ask, though Juno was still not nearly as chatty as she usually was. When it was her turn to discuss her findings Juno did not discuss her field work in Los Angeles with the same animation she had done back in the spring when she had first returned. LizE put it down to Chaz's influence rekindling that small spark that she still nursed for him and making her shy, though unconsciously so.

Will threw a few items on a plate, and though there was a seat free next to LizE, he walked out of the room and holed up in smaller conference room to handle his own personal business, apparently. She watched him go with regret. He had been in and out of the main conference room a few times, apparently occupied with Darcy Rail business, though there, also in some capacity, to support Chaz's investments.

To be so near and yet to not talk was grating, it stirred her feelings, made her raw and yet she could not wonder. He had come as a friend to help Chaz, not as a professed lover to her. That question was answered. To see him, silent grave and indifferent hurt, was difficult and she vowed to skip the afternoon session. She did not know if his input was needed at all to check on Chaz's investments, or was he there to spy on Juno and see if, perhaps, she did care for Chaz and to give his okay? Part of LizE did believe that given Chaz's character, he did need Will's blessing and encouragement. Was that why Will was there, and the only reason he was there?


	54. Chapter 54

Chapter 54

She excused herself after the first post-lunch break; gathered her belongings (including her comm screen) and fled the Institute's grand conference room to the quiet confines of the greenhouses. She bundled her things on the floor inside the door and found some solace in walking up and down by the neat rows of test plants and checking to see how some of her findings from Rosings were doing.

"Why is he so business-like, so indifferent?" she asked a small cotyledon, its twin leaves bold and bright sunny green. "Why did he come at all, as far as I know he is not under-writing your development little one." She walked down another row where seedlings had more time to grow and blossom into larger plants. "He was so talkative, so commanding, so friendly when we were at Lambton. He was even flirtatious during that picnic hamper luncheon with the 'ladies' but why not now? Why not flirt with me again? Does he fear me somehow, if so, why did he come back? If he no longer loves me, why does he not speak to me? Have you no opinions?" She looked down at a plant that had a cage around it; obviously it was some climber that had not yet reached its tendrils out to climb up. She wondered if it was her clematis.

"LizE, who are you talking to?" called Juno from another row.

"My seedlings, my little plantings from Rosings," she answered hoping Juno had not heard her little musings.

Juno had a wide smile. "We finished a little early. Pohl Nuscheler thought he would need a whole hour at least to get through his portion. We'll start up again tomorrow."

"So, he's to come back tomorrow is he?" Grinned LizE.

"Yes—and don't look at me like that. It shall be bad enough facing Fancy tonight. Now that I've got through today, this first meeting after all this time, I am calm. I know my own strength and won't feel embarrassed in his company. I am sure I have given no one any fodder for gossip. We were just acquaintances, indifferent, but friendly work acquaintances."

"Very indifferent indeed!" said LizE with a laugh, "oh Juno, take care."

"You don't think I am in any danger? I am not so weak," she straightened her shoulders with a determined look on her sweet face.

"I think you are in a great deal of danger of making him as much in love with you as ever."

* * *

It was Chaz ' blue car that she noticed in the Netherfield parking lot the next day. LizE was not sure if that meant Will was elsewhere but as she had made her presentation and was not necessary to the investment meeting she went back to her lab. Juno poked her head in to say Chaz had 'invited her to lunch (their meeting was over) and would LizE mind?' In the late afternoon there was a comm, 'Chaz asked to drive me home, do you mind driving Bob by yourself?'

LizE beat Juno home by an hour, or the pair stopped somewhere along the way, more likely. Fancy tackled Chaz as he walked Juno to the front door.

"You should come to dinner Mr. Bingley! We can have a few friends over and have a little party while you're in town. It has been so long since we've seen you; I am sure many of our neighbors have missed you since you ran away."

He looked a little sheepish and possibly a little offended at this sentiment but said he had various business interests that kept him away from Meryton. He did, however, agree to come on Friday night to a little 'get-together with the neighbors,' and even promised to bring his friend Will Darcy.

Chaz and Juno had lunch every day after that and he drove her home in the evenings though it was quite a circuitous route he took. Fancy did not mind in the slightest even though it was Juno's week to cook. He always had her home in time to eat, though he never could be persuaded to stay for dinner.

By Friday at breakfast, Juno no longer claimed that they were just "acquaintances."

LizE only saw Will once more that week, early one afternoon they passed each other in the hallway almost running into each as they came around a corner. They stopped short and danced to one side and then the other to give way before he finally stood tall, nodded and waved her by. She recalled that time, a year past now, when he had bumped into her and had knocked her comm screen from her hands. So much had changed since that encounter.

* * *

Fancy was in high spirits at the idea of the party on Friday. She had elaborate plans, with hopes that her young lovers would wonder off on the property to 'find themselves,' which she had to seriously scale back by some unexpected rain. The tirade of Fancy Ben against whatever powers that be would so thwart her plans cannot be described as she spent most of the time at breakfast that morning bewailing that one does not expect rain in California so early in October and how unfair it all was.

She then changed tactics and thought that their gravely, unpaved roads might strand Chaz at the house and there could be some interesting goings-on in the middle of the night. She let Juno know she would retire early and wear earplugs. Apparently she gave no thought to any of the other guests, and what they might have to do with them or where they might be put up and what _they_ might think of "midnight games."

Juno was so embarrassed over all of her mother's machinations and hints that she said not a word the whole drive to work. LizE was lost in thought wondering if Will really would come to the party and would she finally have a chance to talk to him, really talk to him, that evening?

* * *

Bob did not quite make it home, conking out on the final hill and the two sisters had to run for home in the pelting rain and then scramble to get ready. LizE was still dressing when the first guests arrived and she felt that the evening was going to be an unsettled one, hearing the sound of foreign voices and laughter below in her house and not quite desiring to join in as guests arrived before she was ready.

She beat Chaz and Will to her own living room by only five minutes. Fancy practically soared to the door to answer it and welcomed Chaz with such an amount of chatter that would make anyone's head ache; she reached for his arm and dragged him inside with only a small nod to Will Darcy who stood on the stoop with damp hair.

Juno was seated near a roaring fireplace, a touch which she attributed to Fancy as an attempt at a "romance." Chaz was hauled over straight to Juno, despite there being a few neighbors along the way he had not seen or talked to since his return (and for all it was to be a party for him to reacquaint himself with those same neighbors). He sat down next to Juno and then looked up with half-laughing alarm at his friend but then settled in to talk to Juno. Will made the rounds speaking to neighbors, though he never came to talk to LizE.

LizE spent the beginning part of the evening watching the lovers; she had not really had a chance to do so at work. Juno was animated, smiling, and she and Chaz talked as old friends and did not notice any of the glances in their direction, or the smiles (some happy, some a little more mischievous from the other onlookers), nor did they hear any of the comments made about them. Juno had apparently either developed a thick skin about gossip; no longer cared or no longer noticed that she was the object of it.

She did watch Will too. Darren Lucas tackled him and the business man face came out while they talked. One of the scientists seemed to stop him to consult Will about something (she could not hear the topics; she was too far away). That was a little more animated discussion. Interestingly, Mark talked to him for a short time and Will displayed, if just for a moment, the first true smile she had seen since his return to Meryton. She thought she might join them, but Edi Long seemed to appear out of nowhere and tackled him, actually took his arm and hauled him to the family room. The business man walked away from her and she felt that there would be no opportunity to talk to him as Edi's high heels clicked an annoying staccato on the floor.

"We can't always keep missing each other, I shall find a way to talk to him," she vowed.

* * *

Her mother shooed the whole party all in to the dining room to help themselves to a sort of potluck supper telling them to all sit where they liked with their plates and to make sure to help themselves to Ms. Turnbull's wine selection. Some people still opted to sit at the dining table, but others paired off in the various rooms, and LizE took her plate and went in search of Will, but could not find him. She wondered if Edi was giving him a private tour of the house or grounds or had started those midnight games early. It was a painful image.

Juno and Chaz still occupied the same chairs with plates of food and glasses of wine (she suspected Fancy brought it to them so they would not have to get up). Phil Lucas stopped to chat with her about the import/export business and how Chris Bromley was working out, "okay," though they still missed LotE's stewardship but were making a go of it. LizE thought it a dull conversation but with a plate of food could not think how to extricate herself. She nibbled watching others eating and hemmed in by a crowd. KitE was in a group of similar aged young women often stopping to check screens or hold one up to share an image.

She heard the squeak of the kitchen door and craned her head around the doorjamb to look into the kitchen. Will and Edi squeezed past the now stuck open door, hair dripping, shoulders drenched. They shook themselves off and used two of the many scattered towels to dry their hands, face and hair. Edi dabbed at her face as though attempting to preserve her make-up. Will's face was a statue, she thought of Dr. Heemskerk that first day she had met him: unreadable, stony but stormy underneath. Edi was laughing, a high-pitched laugh.

"…shoes and mud. I am a disarray now. I'll probably go home." She threw the towel on the kitchen table. LizE took one step into the kitchen and Edi turned to look at her. Her face looked its lean best, no streaming make-up, only her wet hair was rumpled.

"LizE! Nice party!" she called in a higher-than-normal tone and held up her muddy heels in one hand. "I'm for home," and she walked past LizE knocking into her as she went. LizE thought she might have had more than her fair allotment of wine.

Will folded his towel slowly and placed it on the counter. He was standing sideways to LizE. She thought she should say something, given they had a moment, seize the opportunity. "Tell me, how is GEO? What is she up to?"

"She went back to London; has gone back to school. She'll come home again at Christmas."

"That is a long way to travel by herself."

"She has a friend, Misti Annesley, who went back with her, rail, then ship. They took a ship over."

"I've never been on a ship," she then ran out of anything to say, the atmosphere between them so awkward, but he continued to stare down at the towel, neatly folded, ready for use, even if it did sport a muddy handprint. He could not think of anything to say, but then, neither could LizE.

"I should not let her drive home if she's been drinking," and he turned and rushed past LizE without looking at her into the dining room and disappeared. She thought she heard a door open, though there was the sound of so many voices talking that she knew it was imaginary. She sat down at the kitchen table and stared at Edi's crumpled towel. He had loved her once and she had refused him, told him how much she hated him with such vicious, vitriolic words; and yet he had been kind a second time, bounced back and been willing to give her a second chance when they met at Pemberley. He had been sweet and flirtatious; so kind to her aunt and uncle and then poor Luna had fallen into the clutches of George Wickham. LizE had wept in his arms for the loss of her sister and though he had been able to find the strength to restore Luna to her, to her whole family; he had apparently not been able to find that he still loved her. She did not really think he was so interested in Edi Long, but it hurt to even consider the possibility. She fled out the still open door, grabbing the summer house key off its hook, and holed up in there, crying as she stared at the dry, cold, empty fireplace where she had burned his letter.


	55. Chapter 55

Chapter 55

The rain continued in the morning though by then Fancy little regarded it. She could only go through the events of the evening, in detail, repeatedly, with anyone who would dare to poke a head into the kitchen. The meal was good, the wine was excellent and the mix of people just right. And Chaz Bingley had barely left Juno's side the entire evening. There had been a point when Darren Lucas felt he should be spared a few minutes of the young man's time and attention and Fancy had glared at him, but for the most part the two had been left to themselves with Fancy as sentry. Neither Juno or Chaz seemed to have minded or noticed their guardian or any of the other goings-on that evening: the fact that Edi Long had left in a tipsy rush out the front door; the fact that two Netherfield scientists had almost come to blows about a point of research, and apparently John Lucas had kissed KitE Ben during some game and that it had been _quite_ a kiss.

Most of the gossip and comments about the party were about Juno and Chaz and their having eyes only for each other. No one noticed that LizE had disappeared for half the evening. Fancy gave reign to her visions of blue-eyed, red-headed grandchildren as if they were a certainty and waited to pounce on her oldest child as soon as she appeared from her bed. It was LizE, though, who came sidling in through the kitchen door.

"What a party! LizE don't you think it was the best one we have had in forever! We have to do it again soon, the whole set up."

"Even the rain?" asked LizE who was steeling herself against her mother's proclamations in order to fix some sort of breakfast having only nibbled the night before.

"Even the rain, the whole thing: people, food, wine, the fireplace, the candles on the mantel…"

"Didn't Leo Lucas knock over one of the candles and burn a hole in the carpet?"

"Well, in general. I don't know if I want _that_ repeated. Juno, any word from Chaz?" Their mother placed both hands on the kitchen table as she tracked Juno's entry into the room.

Juno smiled as she tried to slide into place next to LizE and then attempted and failed at schooling her contented smile.

"Well, well?" prompted Fancy.

"Yes, he wants to go for a long drive today."

"That's good, drive to the beach, show him the ocean," declared her mother.

"It's raining Mom," pointed LizE towards the kitchen door where the evidence was clear.

"It should clear up by then," dismissed Fancy waving her hand.

"I don't know how long we'll have," replied Juno. "He has to take Will to get his car which is in the shop. He's to leave today."

"Will is leaving?" Cried LizE.

"Yes."

"Is he coming back?"

"Chaz didn't say," said Juno with her thoughts on long drives with Chaz and not attending to her sister's concerns.

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They did get to the beach. It had been cold and gray and wet though the rain, as Fancy had predicted, did stop. Cassandra had packed a picnic of sorts, though there had been bottles of wine for the courses too and Chaz set up some special enclosed screened-in room and they had sat at their public park picnic table spread with linen and watched the sun set while toasting to its magnificence with wine in cut-crystal glasses. Juno had floated in the front door to bed.

Sunday they explored new sights in San Francisco, little places, new cultural places making foothold attempts to bring life back to cities to revive urban culture. It was a very late night but Juno melted into bed with barely a word to LizE.

Monday morning Fancy tried to convince LizE not to go to work so Chaz would need to come fetch Juno.

"Don't you realize we are expected to come to work Mom? I can't just take the day off to promote Juno and Chaz having yet another chance to be together, it's not that long of a drive. Besides, they seem to be doing fine."

"A little help from the family never hurts," answered her mother, but her plans that morning were ineffectual. LizE and Juno drove into work together. Juno worked most of the day and Chaz, as was becoming his habit, drove her home—the long route, whatever that way was.

Chaz did not say no to the invitation to stay to eat that evening, though he left earlier than Fancy thought he should and without a moonlit walk with Juno. He seemed happy enough to join the family in a game, one or Mr. Jinks'.

The new game, which Spencer Jinks had sent to LizE, was "P.A.S.S.: Post-Apocalyptic-Survival&amp;Shelter." It was part sandbox and part survival game, where the teams had to both build a shelter but then go out, and forage for survival. Spencer had said you had to use your smarts to survive, but LizE found it largely relied on being a bully as part of the survival bit. Banding together with other groups did not work; LizE did not care for it and she wondered that it was so far outside of Jinks' style that she worried about the impetuous for the game design and worried about him. Only those most competitive family members, like Mara, Mark and KitE seemed to enjoy it, because it was something they could win at.

Juno and LizE did not talk about Chaz, but LizE felt as she watched Chaz play, laugh and smile with so much obvious, abundant love for Juno that he must have had Will's pat on the back or at least had a burst of self-importance enough to act without his friend's encouragement. That whole week, though they did drive in to work together, LizE accepted she would lose Juno to Chaz at meal times and drive home alone. There was not much to do in Meryton, but Chaz seemed happy to come home to eat with the Ben family. Often he and Juno went for long walks after the meal—those moonlit strolls Fancy so encouraged—which kept getting longer and longer as the week went on.

Friday night they ate dinner at Chaz's house, Juno did not even return home after work. Fancy glowed all through their family dinner with happy predictions that they would not see Juno all weekend as she would be playing "away games." LizE, disgusted by her mother's frank talk about Juno and Chaz and the far too many innuendos, went to bed early. She had not fallen asleep when she heard the front door open and the loud exclamations from her mother, and though she could not hear the words, it let her know that her sister had returned without whatever medal one gets for playing "away games."

88888

Saturday he came to collect her mid-morning and Juno brought along a packed bag—more an overly large purse—though Juno did not remark on it or say what they were doing. Fancy was sure, after they had left, and she had time to think about it, that they were eloping. They were going to follow in Charlotte and William Collins' footsteps and go up to the registry office in Colma to get married.

Chaz had not said where they were going though pressured by Fancy those few minutes he was there that morning. LizE tried to distract her mother from too many comments as she had seen Juno pack her toothbrush, while walking by the bathroom, in that over-sized purse.

There was no rain; it was a clear night, so there was no weather-related excuse for not coming home, but Juno, for the first time did not return home. It was all Fancy could talk about the next day, the 'love birds' and speculated they would be lying and lazing about in bed still. LizE's comm screen lit up as they ate breakfast and Fancy chattered.

"EllE Goulding." While she was friends with EllE, LizE was older (EllE was Mara's age) and LizE was surprised by the note and opened it with curiosity.

"Your sister is sitting in church _right now with Chaz Bingley_," read the comm.

LizE stared at it. Juno was not being transported to some heavenly delights in Chaz's arms, as per Fancy's fancy, but apparently coolly considering heaven in a church pew.

"Who is comming you at this hour on a Sunday, not work?" inquired Fancy.

"No—EllE Goulding—from church," and she told her mother. Fancy sat still unable to say anything. It did not figure with the picture she was painting for Juno so she had to wonder about the whole portrait.

"I must comm her!"

"You will interrupt her if she is at church!"

"I must know what she is up to!"

But Juno did not answer, nor did she come home or answer anyone else's comms that entire day.

88888

Monday morning, before she left for work, there was a short comm waiting for LizE when she woke asking for her to bring a change of clothes to Netherfield but it said nothing else.

Juno avoided her eyes when she delivered her burden and quickly went to change. LizE knew she would be focused on work and predicting she would lunch with Chaz LizE swung by unannounced an hour later. Juno was staring off into space, intently studying the color of the wall (soft gray).

"Fancy will be all over you when you get home tonight."

Juno looked up at LizE though not quite directly at her; LizE shut the door. Now the door behind was quite interesting.

"He wants me to move in with him."

"It isn't his house."

"Don't be so literal, or technical, or logical!" declared Juno with a sweet and embarrassed laugh. "I don't know I'm not an English major." She turned to look at LizE finally. "He wants me."

"Of course he does," and she could not help smiling and the happiness for her sister bubbled up inside making LizE want to both laugh and cry. "So?"

Juno blushed, a shade of red that had to match Chaz's hair. "Yes…you know, you said…"

"Yes, I know…and even better with a special guy, I am sure," she worked to school a grin from her face as she knew how embarrassed Juno was about the topic.

Juno looked everywhere around the room but at LizE, "yes," she whispered.

"So, are you going to move in with him?"

"Yes," she whispered, and cried and blushed all at the same time.

"Fancy will really be all over that," and LizE did grin though she also wanted to chuckle at how happy that would make their mother, "I may not come home tonight."

"Soon, I am going to do it soon," it was an unexpected tone in Juno's voice.

"That does not sound like my former workaholic sister, but I am really, very happy for you. And I should let you get back to work." She wasn't sure if Juno would not go back to staring at the walls, but LizE left Juno feeling so happy that all had turned out well.

As she returned to her lab, she wondered that it seemed to be resolved so easily between Chaz and Juno when there had been so many months of separation and heartache.

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LizE did return home late that evening. She decided to stop in and eat dinner at the Turnbull Café and to skip all the fuss and noise and exclamations that would be occurring at home when Juno made her announcement. It would be quite a different place without Juno. Luna was quite a noisy addition, so with her gone, it was a far more peaceful place, but she had, essentially, been gone since May. Juno was quiet, her work-focused, level-headed, oldest child self, but had always been there to answer questions, or listen to complaints, or to break up fights or settle disputes. With her leaving, home would be a far, far different place.

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It took Juno the rest of the week to pack up her belongings to move out. She was firm in her resolve to move in with Chaz, and to do it quickly, and came home promptly from work each evening to pack, working late into the night with LizE's help.

Juno could talk only of her happiness in their being together and what their life, this new tentative life together would be like, and of their commitment to journeying forward, hand in hand.

"We are truly in love, LizE, truly in love," she shared one evening as she steadily packed.

"That has been profoundly obvious to everyone for weeks and was obvious even months ago when he first came," answered LizE who packed clothes that Juno had chosen to take with her. Juno was sorting through items, using the opportunity to weed out anything unwanted; she only wished to take just the most needed items for her new life.

"We have made a commitment to each other, to set up a household and to live together as a man and a woman do."

"Sounds like you're a nesting hen and he's your barnyard rooster," teased LizE the younger sister for once.

Juno laughed, but then turned serious, "but we have made a commitment to each other, I think that is why we decided to go to church on Sunday, it sort of solidified the deal. We are grown-ups now and are to make a real go of it, being together, living together, seeing what sort of life we can have together."

"Juno, you are twenty-nine, I should think you were a grown up. Look at all you've done, all of your work accomplishment, look at what he's done."

"But having him by my side is a new and interesting twist but one I want; I want to continue my work, but I want to come home to Chaz," and she said it with such a sweet longing that LizE was hard pressed not to be envious even though she was also riding on Juno's happy coattails.

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Juno actually took Friday off from work, leaving LizE to drive in by herself, while George from Meryton Motors came to collect her belongings, and move her to Chaz's rented house. LizE was not sure that Fancy would not do something like throw rice or rose petals as she departed the Ben family home but their mother behaved herself—not too weepy, or too flamboyant—at least as far as the other siblings reported.

And LizE drove herself home on Friday night to find it now housed two fewer Ben family members.


	56. Chapter 56

Chapter 56

About a week after Juno had moved out LizE was returning from the barn in the morning having hunted for some eggs. She could hear a car coming towards the house, its engine struggling as though it were not in the correct gear or having some other issue with the last hill before the family home. She walked through the kitchen leaving the eggs on the counter, to peer out the front window. A white car pulled in front of the house and Catherine de Bour got out. She had apparently driven herself as LizE could see no sign of Mr. Jinks in the car.

The great lady knocked and LizE answered it quickly, surprised by the visitor. The rest of her family seemed equally as intrigued with such a fancy car bringing a guest and all gathered in the front hallway when Ms. de Bour entered.

Catherine de Bour stopped to look at all of the eyes staring at her with a withering look. LizE greeted her. Ms. de Bour stared at her for a minute before saying, "that lady, I suppose, is your mother?"

LizE replied that it was. "And that is a sister?" She looked at KitE.

"Yes," answered Fancy, "she is a Catherine, just like you!" Catherine de Bour winced at the pronunciation. LizE knew she prided herself on the French pronunciation: Kat-er-reen. "I have three others," continued Fancy, "and this is my son Mark and my husband Tom, and my oldest is…"

"Is there somewhere we can speak privately Ms. Ben?" interrupted Catherine.

"I fear there is no real private office suitable," replied LizE who had no real desire to hear what the shipping magnate's wife had to say.

"Why not take her to the summer house?" Fancy suggested. LizE escorted her guest, with misgivings, through the kitchen, stopping to retrieve the key while the lady peered around her in disgust, and out to the summer house; Ms. de Bour was silent until they got inside.

"Somehow I imagined…a house…this looks more like a carriage house you re-purposed."

"I think it _was_ a garage many years ago and was converted." Catherine looked far from impressed. LizE wondered why Mr. Jinks had not driven her. Why had Anne not come too, though she supposed Anne did not need to come on all of her employer's business trips.

"Are Charlotte and William well?"

"Yes—though it is not the Collinses that I came to talk to you about."

"How could I ever think her like her nephew?" thought LizE as she motioned Catherine into a chair. The lady opted for a dusty wooden one over the squishy, dusty armchair.

"You should have no doubts as to why I have come, Ms. LizE Ben. Why I have had to make such a journey on my own. Your heart, your very conscience must tell you why I came," she practically growled out the sentence.

LizE looked at her unwanted guest with astonishment. "I have no idea why you have come." Catherine was angry and pulled forward to sit on the edge of her chair.

"I am not someone you should ever cross. Perhaps you may choose to be _insincere_ but I am always honest. I have always been celebrated for my _honesty_ and my _frankness_. I was told, last night, that your elder sister is not the only Ben daughter to catch the eye of a wealthy man. I was told that my nephew, William Darcy had actually _asked_ you to marry him. Though I _know_ it to be a falsehood I had to come here to contradict such a rumor—to lay it to rest."

"What?" cried LizE.

"You must tell me this rumor is false right now!" She slapped a hand on her leg.

"Ms. de Bour, you seem to presume that there is some sort of intimacy or connection between us. While I appreciate all of your support for the Netherfield research; that support," she almost said patronage, "does not give you the right to assume you can pry into my personal life."

"But I can pry into William's since I am one of his closest relatives! Did he ask you to marry him?"

LizE was not sure how to answer that question. He had, of course asked her, but what Catherine wanted to know was whether LizE had said yes, whether LizE was going to marry him. There, the answer was no.

"I think that GEO or Ned FitzWilliam might have 'closest relative' spot taken," she shot back.

"I can tell by your evasive answers that you have set your sights on him," she glared. "Perhaps, in a moment of infatuation he forgot his family, his empire. With your arts and allurements you are distracting him from my well-crafted plans." She stood up to tower over LizE in her lumpy chair. "He has to marry Anne; I have planned that for years and been waiting for William to get around to asking her and thought he was to finally do it this Easter visit. And then _you_ show up and put a wrench in the works." LizE was so taken aback she did not know what to say. She had never shared Anne's secrets; she and Anne never spoke in comm about the topics they shared that car ride: Anne's inheritance or her father. "I _need_ William to marry Anne, Lewis' _bastard child_, to legitimize her." LizE bristled at that, the old-fashioned notion of parenting only by marriage and not by blood. "I need them to marry so they can run an empire together: de Bour Shipping." Catherine paused as if waiting for a confession or for LizE to denounce any claims on Will Darcy and give him up entirely.

"I had heard rumors of Will and Anne before I came. I never would have thought they were from you, were based on your wishes," replied LizE coolly. "It seems as if fate has not worked out the way you planned."

"I am serious, they need to marry—it is for the company's sake. I am not the sort of woman to cross and one who is not used to accepting failure or disappointment LizE Ben."

"I am sorry if this will be the first time you have to experience that," LizE cried.

"You are obstinate, are you not! And all I did for you and that Institute in the spring! Tell me once and for all, are you engaged to him?"

LizE tried to consider how to get out of directly answering but finally said, "no, I am not."

Catherine breathed in while a large smile pasted her face. "Will you promise me to never marry him?"

"However did you hear such a rumor? Will has not been here three or four weeks at least so I wonder how you found out about such a tale in the first place?"

"Anne told me last night when I asked her about William's plans for the…winter holidays. He said he would not be coming to Rosings for the first time in seven years in December. When I pressed Anne as to _why_ I naturally asked if they had a falling out and she said he was in love with _you_, not _her_ and had other plans for Christmas."

"Anne told you!" LizE wondered what was Catherine's speculation in this, what it had to do with her, and what of Will's plans really had to do with GEO's school schedule.

"Yes, she was honest to at least tell me this nasty bit of backstairs goings on that I am sure was happening when I was not looking last spring. I shudder to think what you and William did when the rest of us were none the wiser. I have her loyalty and I sure she feels his slipping away as much as I do, but I must ask you again, will you promise me to enter into no sort of alliance with my nephew?"

"I will make no promise of the kind."

"I am shocked LizE Ben, astonished that you can have no consideration for anyone else but yourself, you are a selfish young woman. I will not leave this place until you give me what I ask."

"I will certainly never give it. I am not someone to be intimidated. You want Will to marry Anne, but my giving you my promise to not see him or date him or marry him does not guarantee he would ever consider Anne. You have mistaken me, the person I am to think you could persuade me to ever do something as make such a promise. I don't know if Will would appreciate your interfering with his love life but I certainly don't appreciate you poking your nose into mine. I think you should leave," and she stood up to look the shipping magnate's wife in the eyes.

"Wait! What about this sister of yours who ran away with an older man? This horrid ex-employee of Darcy Rail? What do you think Will would think of when I share _those_ details? What would the CEO of Darcy Rail think about the scandal of such a chit?"

"I really don't think that is important here. And I don't think we have anything else to talk about." She turned to leave.

"I have more," Catherine glared at her. LizE paused.

"Has Jinks been passing you my treasures?"

"What?" LizE felt continually surprised by this conversation.

"My treasures. I once accused you of fingering them and my nephew took me to task and defended you but now it seems you and Jinks had some arrangement." LizE looked at her, flabbergasted.

"I have not taken anything of yours Ms. de Bour."

"What about my games?" Pressed Catherine. LizE stared at her

"The games!" Cried LizE and she squirmed, was relieved and apparently admitted her guilt all at once to Catherine.

"Mine! Created for me and I always told him never to consider sharing or selling them. Deceitful man. I have fired him. So disloyal. I suppose you knew all along about him and Ned too? _That_ viper's nest came out too at the end. It is _why_ I have to have Will marry Anne. Will is the only decent, loyal person I have. What would the Grand Zephyr think of me otherwise?" She beat her chest in a familiar and dramatic fashion.

"Ned and Spencer Jinks?!" exclaimed LizE who sat down again. Catherine seemed annoyed that LizE was not accepting of what she had to say. The whole trip to Marin flashed by her and she saw all the little hints about them that she had missed. Ned's nickname for him: "Hijinks," his coming to drop her off every evening just being an excuse to be with Spencer. His hungover confession that day that sent her reeling at Will later had been because Catherine had railed against same-sex couples the evening before though there was also the prospect that Ned was leaving the next day and would not see Spencer for possibly many months.

"So I need to ask you once again—will you promise me to never marry my nephew or enter any sort of arrangement—such as the one that seems to suit that one sister of yours?"

"I will make no promises."

"You have no regard for the running of empires—it requires the strong backs of our families, family ties."

"I think Anne Oakham is quite capable of running an empire if she can handle _you_. And family ties do not have to be only the way _you_ view them. I do not think we have anything else to say to each other," she led the way out the door.

"This is your real opinion! I can see you are ambitions—a gold digger—out to get him if you can. You are not the first and you won't be the last. Women are constantly throwing themselves at him. You may think you have a _slight_ advantage because he's attracted but I know what to do!"

The woman had followed LizE back to the house.

"You can get to your car by going around that way," LizE pointed. "You need not come into the house."

"I am disappointed in you," said Catherine, "this is not what I expected at all," and stormed off.

Fancy was in the kitchen and pounced on her daughter, "that was a short meeting. Was she not tired from the drive and needed to come in to rest before setting off."

"No."

"Very beautiful, she is very beautiful. You never said—she has certainly aged well. She must be over fifty if she is that odious Will Darcy's aunt. She must be on a drive or something and just stopped by to give you a message from LotE?" LizE gave as short a fictious story as she could to her mother before running away.


	57. Chapter 57

Chapter 57

LizE dressed for riding and took Rowan out to roam the hills. She had thought she had mastered some composure of her feelings as far as Will Darcy. It had been three weeks since he left Meryton, left Chaz with Will's permission to pursue Juno and left LizE behind. She had been carried through those weeks by sharing in her sister's happiness, and hiding her own disappointment in the dark edges of her mind. He hovered there but she would not allow him hold. She could work again, interact at home with her family (even with Juno gone this past week) and did not often wake at 3 a.m. with dreams of him. LizE had steeled herself, forbidden herself, against replaying his video comm though she kept that on her F.I.D. band: she could not delete it.

But Catherine de Bour's visit broke through whatever flimsy walls she had erected about her feelings for William H.G. Darcy, CEO of Darcy Rail and important business man, and apparently, potentially CEO of de Bour Shipping (or at least co-owner) as hinted by Catherine de Bour, who seemed, by implication, to want to make the married couple, William and Anne Darcy, her heirs.

So it was, perhaps, rational to Catherine de Bour, to come root up the weedy LizE Ben who had "put a wrench" in those plans as she had said. LizE did not know what to make of Anne's telling Catherine that Will loved LizE or that Anne somehow knew about Will's proposal to LizE. Anne was smart and observant so she either noticed their connection—the only one out of the eight of the Rosings party who did—or Will had shared the fact with her. Somehow, LizE thought Anne was clever enough to have figured it out at the time. Charlotte had been close too, but LizE had been thankful her friend had given up on the Will-as-potential-boyfriend inquiry and stopped prying. Obviously the Lucases sent Meryton news to Charlotte which was then shared with William C. and then shared with Catherine; so any of the other, more public Ben family facts were readily known to Catherine de Bour.

LizE went through their conversation in the summer house and Catherine's expressions and words and wondered what her statement, "I know what to do," would entail. Catherine de Bour had power and money, time and resources at her disposal to interfere with any sort of potential relationship between Will and LizE, and LizE could not consider, exactly, just what a powerful woman would do. Were there some legal steps to take? She did not think it likely as she would not want the publicity (LizE had learned _that_ from her nephew). She was likely to appeal to Will in some manner. What would that look like and how much weight would he, her nephew, place on it? He had to think more of her, Will probably liked his aunt, valued her at some level, more so than LizE did. If Catherine de Bour spoke to him, would she be able to persuade him to forget about LizE?

She knew Anne did not wish to marry Will; she had even gone so far as to reveal the truth of Will's heart to his aunt but if he was still thinking of LizE in some positive way after Luna's rescue, if he still had caring thoughts, had he forgiven LizE for her botched calling out of his mistake about Juno and Alex Morris? He had shown no signs of interest in her since that day in late July when she left Pemberley. They had talked since then but in such an awkward way that it could only be said as acquaintances, not friends even and for sure not as lovers. Chaz had said he did not know if Will was to come back again; Will's schedule was quite busy at this time of the year as Darcy Rail planned for the upcoming financial year. "He may come for a weekend, to say hello on his way somewhere," was all Chaz knew.

"I must consider he will not come; his schedules and spreadsheets and meetings will keep him away and make both of us unhappy when it could have been so different," she told Rowan.

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Not only Fancy but the rest of the family had been curious about Catherine de Bour's visit but all of them seemed to accept the 'on the road and stopped to say hello and to talk a little Rosings business' excuse and did not push LizE for anything else.

The next morning she was attempting to relax outside, the sun making a determined effort to remind everyone that fall could not possible be in its rotation as it was almost hot.

"LizE—come in; I want to talk to you," called her father. He stood just outside the house, about as far as he would venture unless under orders from Fancy to exercise. He had his comm screen in his hand. The screen in his hand worried her. Had Catherine contacted Tom about her concerns? Had she brought some sort of legal action against them? LizE thought of conversations, family lore, about William Collins Sr. fighting Tom for the family estate, the money that was spent fighting that; she thought of the expenses for Luna, would she be trying her father's patience and love by additional legal fees? She had only been working one year and had no real savings yet.

She dutifully walked in and followed him to his study and he cleared the spare chair and motioned for her to sit down. "Apparently you have an admirer—and such a one to make me laugh!" He chuckled. LizE looked at him with alarm. Was it Will reaching out to her father? Was he saying something about his love for her, asking for her hand in marriage like some old-fashioned suitor? Why could he comm her father and not her? "Cousin William has sent me one of his cryptic comms," Tom laughed again waving the screen at her.

"Cousin William!" There was a sense of relief that Will had not written followed by disappointment. Tom missed it all as he sat down. "What does he have to say?" She asked.

"He has some words to say about Juno. I believe he admires the upper class too much to criticize them. He says nothing against Chaz though he does take me to task for allowing Juno to move in with Chaz Bingley and not be married. He has strong view on marriage and even stronger ones about sex. He does seem, on the other hand, pleased at the alliance as though he, himself, could benefit by it somehow," again he chuckled, amused by his relation.

"Here is what he says of you: 'Let give you a hint that my cousin Elizabeth should not follow any sort of inclination to copy her sister's footsteps. We, Charlotte and I, have heard she has set her sights to enter into the same sort of relationship with a man who is illustrious, blessed with everything the heart of a mortal can desire. Yet despite these…material…temptations, let me warn both you and my cousin Elizabeth about the evils of such an _alliance_.' Can you guess who he is hinting at?"

LizE shook her head.

" 'My motive for caution is because his aunt, Catherine de Bour, does not at all look on or would allow such an relationship.' Mr. Darcy is who he is hinting at!" proclaimed her father, looking up from his comm screen. "I think I have surprised you! Such an absurd choice. He is just the most wonderful and most ridiculous man, my cousin to have picked such a lover for you! Think of the kerfuffle you and that Darcy fellow got into at the Gala. The odious, pompous Mr. Will Darcy who no one likes. I cannot believe he has ever given you a second thought. Is there any man we know who is less likely to steal you away from us, from our little family?" Her father was really chuckling by then.

LizE was not able to join in with her father's laughter and was not sure how to respond.

"Don't you think it is funny he should have taken the trouble to comm such a thing?" asked her father.

"Oh yes," she managed to get out.

"He also mentions your sister Luna's retrieval and restoration," he frowned, "he feels we should have punished her instead of welcoming her home and not have sanctioned her 'blood thirstiness' as he sees it in the first place by letting her go to Florida to military school," he scowled then and was thoughtful but then smiled to himself as some thought took hold, "he is a funny correspondent with all of his sharp and far-flung opinions, but amusing too."

"I can see that," ventured LizE, though more to placate than with true understanding.

"He mentions his Charlotte's situation," there was a head shake, "I still think of her as LotE, apparently she is considering seminary and may join him in the pulpit," he stared down at his comm screen again.

"But it is odd to comment about you and that Darcy fellow. So strange, he is so obviously indifferent to you and you have had such a pointed dislike of him," he looked up at LizE. "I am not ready to have you leave me LizE. Juno's leaving has hurt me; I did not realize how much I loved having my chicks peeping about the house. I even miss Luna."

"I am here Dad, and don't have plans to go anywhere," she blurted out.

"I could not lose you LizE," he said with such a smile that she felt warm and small and protected as if she was little again.


	58. Chapter 58

Chapter 58

LizE was in one of the greenhouses at Netherfield. She would not admit that she was hiding. Hiding from despair and a sense of loneliness. Juno had been gone a week, Luna for five; life at home was changing. She was no longer able to not want Will Darcy to appear. The crushing emptiness inside her kept pushing her to reach out to him and she started and rejected a hundred times the wording for a comm. 'Dear Will: I love you.' 'Hi Will: how have you been?' 'Will: coming to town soon?' 'Mr. Darcy: do you even think about me? LizE Ben.' Why had things become so awkward when they had been so easy at Pemberley three months ago?

She had only ferreted away one 'seed' from there: Meg's fern and she stood to look at the tiny crozier looking lonely in an otherwise empty planter. "You're so small; you don't seem to be making much of an effort," she said sternly.

"Hello?" called a voice and she froze as she recognized the owner.

"Hello?" she echoed back.

"Juno said you would be out here…" his voice trailed off as he came around the end of the row.

"And you caught me talking to the plants," she quipped. He walked down the row towards her. He seemed to have a small smile on his face but she could not tell which Will Darcy manifestation had come to talk to her. "This is the fern Meg found at Pemberley. I'm afraid it is the only seed I brought back with me," she pointed to the crozier, "I sort of ran out of time at the end. Besides it was mostly Lambton business anyways, all for _their_ benefit," she kept talking staring down at the tiny fern; he had reached her by then. Then she looked up, embarrassed, thinking how much she sounded like Scarlet. "I left in a hurry, left everything behind," she did not know why she led the conversation directly to those shared moments, that kiss.

She looked at him then, silent, looking down at her with a still expressionless face, not his Pemberley face, not his stony face, just not one that was readable to her. He was not looking at the fern really, his back was to it, he was looking at her, looking down at her like he always did—tall, proud, odious Mr. Darcy—she thought of the epithets her family used—those labels and suddenly she reached out and shoved him in the chest, hard, his legs caught on the back of the planter box and he landed sitting right next to the fern, having missed it by centimeters. Surprise and a little shock were on his face.

"Now I don't have to crane my head to talk to you," she knocked into his knees as she came up to look him now in the eyes.

"LizE Ben you certainly know how to keep me on my toes."

"No, I keep you off of them," then they were laughing, laughing together like that small shared moment with Fergus at the Collinses, laughing comfortably.

"Will," she wanted to explain how grateful she was for all he had done for Luna, explain how her feelings had changed, wanting to assess how he felt about her. He reached a hand out to her as if he were needing a hand up. Instinctively she complied but he took her hand and pulled her close, their knees bumping awkwardly, her back stretched a little, and kissed her tentatively; their body postures made it awkward, their emotions made it perfect. She thought he growled and pulled back. His other hand which supported him in the soil had sunk up to hide his fingers. She restrained her laugh as she was not sure if he would handle being laughed at. Planting her feet she held out both hands, he grasped them and she pulled him up. LizE had glanced over to look where he had been sitting but Will bound her up in his arms, capturing her mouth with his, pressing her against him as he nibbled on her lips his breath coming more quickly. There was another deep kiss that steadied his breathing.

"I have been half agony, half hope I would ever kiss you again," he whispered in her ear, she shivered as he held her to him and she felt safe feeling his thundering heart pounding against hers.

"I have thought of nothing else," she said, "it has been three months exactly since I left Pemberley. I do not believe a single day has passed that I have not considered your kiss."

"Considered?" he looked like he took exception to her words and setting her on her feet kissed her again and again until she regretted her choice of words.

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They clasped hands and began walking. LizE was not sure how to ask why he was there at Netherfield, in the greenhouse with soil on his trousers but he brought up the subject himself. Catherine de Bour had left the Ben house and gone straight to Pemberley to see Will and tackle him in person.

"She did not mention you at first. She demanded to know why the delay in marrying Anne as time was passing and she needed to decide on an heir for de Bour Shipping as she was not getting any younger. It was the first time she had outright mentioned such a condition though she has hinted at it. I told her it was never my intention to marry Anne. It was then that she told me of her trip to see you, she outlined your conversation together—which gave me hope again. If you still hated me, you would have said so to Aunt Catherine."

"After all the ugly things I have said to you in person, you cannot but assume I wouldn't be equally frank with your aunt!" she sighed.

"I can't tell you how happy, how hopeful I was to have Aunt Catherine in my house yelling at me yesterday morning."

"That had to be a strange scene but I can picture it. You assumed given how horribly I spoke to you that day that had I still had felt the same I would have said something to Catherine? Given my snippets to you in our encounters, I have been far too frank, too 'honest' myself."

They reached the parking lot and his silver car, he unlocked it but before opening the door pressed her to him running hands over her back and up into her hair seeking to map her, imprint how she felt in his arms. She pulled her arms into their embrace, reached up to his face and pulled him down to kiss him. A sound, not quite moan, nor sob, nor gasp came from their entangled bodies as they broke apart and climbed into the car. They drove for many miles before speaking again and had passed through Meryton and were on the freeway before Will spoke up. "I would have been here last night but I found it is…difficult to throw a relative out of your house if she does not wish to go," he actually chuckled at this.

"It was probably easier to find me at work than at home anyways,"replied LizE.

"So Chaz and Juno thought."

"Do they know you're here?" she turned to look at him.

"I arrived at their house at five in the morning."

"Do they know about us?" she sat up straighter to look at him but only had his profile.

"Chaz knows a little I take it your sister knew about our encounter in Marin?"

"Juno wept when I burned your letter, per your instructions; she's had your back all along in some ways."

He was thoughtful for a while and she realized there was still so much to learn about Will Darcy. He finally continued. "With Chaz, it has always been about _him_ when it came to relationships. He's fallen in and out of love so often that talking about how he's feeling at dinner or over drinks is as common as passing the salt, not to dismiss how he feels about your sister. We just rarely talked about _me_ and how I felt." More silence in the car, whirling road noise bounced around them and she thought of her car ride with Anne. "Dating has not been a priority for me; I think that having Chaz as a friend I could hear his tales of love and romance, envy him, and if I am honest, live a little through him."

"Juno doesn't really know how I feel about you," blurted out LizE. "I spoke to her of your letter and our encounter," why they skipped saying 'proposal' neither knew, "but I have not been honest with myself so I have not been honest with her about how my feelings have changed."

It seemed a tense moment just then, in the car between them and she suddenly wondered where they were going; was he simply driving so they could talk or did he have a specific destination in mind? She did not ask.

"My letter, did it, it did help?" he asked eyes straight forward though the freeway currently being a long, straight expanse she thought he might still sneak a look at her, but he did not. LizE talked about her reaction to the letter and her struggles and how she had come to see his points as valid.

"But I could not share with Juno what you said about Chaz for he still loved her and you had misconstrued the incident with Alex Morris so as my feelings changed I also found I could not share them with Juno. She does not know how I truly feel about you."

He took in a big breath and let it go forcefully, clamping his lips together as she ended her speech. It was not quite the reaction one expects when you say you love someone, LizE thought, but then she had not actually said that, 'I love you.'

LizE continued, "We have, both of us, changed since we first met."

"You took me to task for that, and I _was_ wrong about Juno and that guy. And during our encounter you laid other accusations at my feet that though they may have been ill-founded they deserved to be called out because my behavior, my whole attitude and approach was appalling," he declared his demeanor stiff and his jaw clenched as he spoke. "Your criticism about my honesty being brutal cut me to the core; you were right, I did just want to have my say and did not concern myself with how another person would be affected by my speech—I was brutal."

"Do not be so hard on yourself," she cried, "I had it so wrong that day. I did not think that I would make such an impression on you."

"But I needed to be taken to task for my behavior, I was not the high-born man I envisioned but a brute," and he did look at her for a moment before looking back at the road, "I was raised a selfish child. An only child for many years. A rich brat as you no doubt pegged me. I knew what was right but not how to control my temper. I knew how to be generous but was a braggart about it. Everything I did was with a sense of pride in my station in life, my position at Darcy Rail, the endless amount of money and resources I had available to me," she looked at him, heard the edge to his voice, saw the clench to his jaw as he spoke. "My mother was a proud woman. In some ways she and her sister, Catherine, are, were…" he stumbled, "very similar, immensely proud, controlling women. My father was a good man, kind and generous and fell in love with her and pursued her. If I am honest, it was a marriage of convenience. She was a trophy wife, beautiful, an ex-model and looked good on his arm, at corporate events and was intelligent; she could talk and charm investors." LizE could not help but contrast that with her own family and though she had often found flaws in the way Tom and Fancy dealt with each other, she knew they loved each other, knew Tom loved his wife, perhaps even more than he loved his children. And Fancy's first love was always Tom Ben though she had an immense amount of love for her children and would have an equal amount for those grandchildren she was so desirous of.

"Obviously there was some affection between them to account for GEO and me," he took in a huge breath through his nose and blew out through his mouth, "but it was the only model I knew for love. I have had little opportunity; have always feared gold-diggers as I explained that day. I had the reigns of Darcy Rail thrown at me at a very early age; really I was just barely an adult and missed most of Uni life."

"Not everyone dates or goes wild during their Uni years. Juno never did." She was not sure what she wanted to say about her own past.

"Dating for me was always more business, more mechanical," he laughed and LizE allowed herself to smile.

"It can be really fun," she ventured, "dating: letting your hair down and just enjoying someone's company, finding and sharing interests," she prompted.

"My hair is short," he quipped. She could not keep the smile from breaking into a laugh but reached out to stroke his arm lest he feel she was laughing at him. She ran her fingers up, straining to reach his hairline, stroking the short, soft, expertly and expensively clipped hair.

"Yes it is," she said, her breath a little shorter. He turned quickly to look at her then back to the road, taking his hand off the wheel to find hers and put it to his lips for a delicate kiss. He was tempted to hold her hand but practicality won and he put her hand back in her lap, and clasped the wheel again.

"I did, at one time, consider Anne. We have been good friends since we were teens and she would have been, perhaps, the best partner I could have had, from a mergers and acquisitions viewpoint, poor Aunt Catherine. And then I found you," he said to the windshield.

"Never Caro?" whisked in LizE.

"No, never," and he seemed surprised. "From the first I was smitten with you. It was all new territory to me but years of having worried that any woman outside my station in life was a gold-digger meant that I thought all women should view me as desirable, that any attention from me would be welcome."

"It is a handsome face," she teased.

"But my actions are reprehensible, my vanity and conceit to think that I could view you in that group! Liken you to such a type who would do anything for money and then figure I could sell us both out—ask you to marry me without truly getting to know you—ask you to surrender up your life for I did not consider your work—assumed you would quit—my vision was always, horribly, that of a trophy wife."

"I think I truly understand your actions that day during that encounter," she paused, "the proposal, you truly expected my jumping at them, leaping into your arms."

"I did," he croaked. She realized the difficulty he was having with the conversation though it was not easy for her.

"I think, that week, I had becomes interested, smitten if you like. I was welcoming of you and your interest if on a subconscious level. So I am to blame as well. I cannot fathom how much you must have hated me after I left!"

"No." It was a firm statement, even if he still said it to the windshield in front of him. He drove for the space of four or five breaths. "I was angry. I admit that but then I worked through my anger and realized my mistakes, what I needed to do, what I needed to work on."

"You though it in bad taste for me to have come to Pemberley?" she ventured.

"No." There was that same firmness. "I was surprised to look, once again at your face, your eyes, your beautiful entrancing eyes," he turned quickly to look at her with such adoration in them that it made her stomach seize, she gasped, her hand coming up to cover her mouth as he looked back at the road. "I admit I was frightened, overwhelmed with seeing you. I had so much I wanted to say to you. So much I wanted to show you that I could be my father's son, I could be a Darcy and not a Braconnier like my mother and aunt. I needed to show you I had _changed_ and I did not know how long you were there, how much time I had. Esme sent me right back outside before I could think and plan and strategize about what I needed to do."

"It is good she did; it was not a long trip. Scarlet finished her work with Sam quickly. Who knows how long you might have strategized inside and then might have missed us."

"It was difficult for me, awkward to have not planned what I wanted to do, thought through what I needed to say."

"But that is what people do, what couples do, they don't have agendas, they simply share their thoughts and feelings. Sometimes it works well, others times it doesn't."

"I tried, when you were at Pemberley to show you that your criticisms of me had been heard. I did not resent our past encounters; I wanted to show you that I had changed. I wanted your forgiveness. I tried to pretend that was all but I could not conceal from my friends, my sister, Esme, your aunt and uncle, anyone who would look at me that I loved you. I could have asked you to take me again, consider loving me as I loved you as we waited for your aunt while she hobbled to the house on her injured knee."

She brought her hand up to cover her lips as her breath came sharply, short, deep breaths to control the turmoil of emotions that roiled inside, threatened to burst out in tears, not unhappy ones, overwhelming ones as the depth of his love and devotion crept through her, and under her skin.

"I believe," she swallowed, her voice higher-pitched than usual, "I love you back." Then she cried, the whole reality of it, the months of keeping her feelings controlled and walled up. Tears that were not a sign of weakness or sadness, just a gate that needed opening fell down her cheeks. At some point in time a cotton handkerchief was pressed into her hands and she used it liberally and ungracefully. Eventually the flood stopped.

"I did not mean to make you unhappy," he said.

"I am ecstatically happy, Will," she replied.

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"Where are we going?" Beyond noticing their southerly direction she could not tell their destination.

"Pemberley. I did not think we could impose on Chaz and Juno and it gave me a destination to head towards, to allow us time to talk. We can always turn around and head back to Meryton," he answered.

"If you arrived at Chaz and Juno's at five a.m. does that mean you drove all night?" she asked.

"Yes, I left just after midnight."

"Then perhaps you should think like a horse and head home for the stables and a meal and sleep," she replied.

"I'll do that," he reached out to find her hand and hold it, bring it to his lips and hold it again to his chest.

"You're stretching my arm out. Cars are not the most romantic places for dates," she replied wryly.

"Sorry," and he released her hand.

They were silent for a while watching as the scenery changed from urban to more rural landscapes as the freeway wound its twisted way through the rolling landscape of California.

"Will," she turned to look at his profile again. He glanced over at her serious expression then back at the road.

"Yes."

"We have to date."

"What?" It was not surprise so much as inquiry though she knew she had startled him and it was not where his mind was, not what he had been thinking about, considering.

"We may love each other but we also have a lot to learn about each other. We should go on dates." He was thoughtful for a while.

"What does that look like? Is there a certain number you think we need? What happens after we date? What happens on dates? Are there rules for dating?" She chuckled at the litany of questions that he threw her way.

"Well, let's tackle that last one: rules for dating. We have to go somewhere and do something," she stated.

"So staying at home to play a game or catch a flick does not count?"

"Hmmm, good point," she mused, "it can be a date if we agree to some activity together—but it has to be planned ahead—no looking back on an event and saying 'let's call it a date'," she answered with conviction.

"Ok, pre-planned events, planned activities. Are there rules as to how many?"

"Hundreds," she quipped.

"Hundreds?!"He blustered clasping the wheel tighter.

"I think we have a lot to learn. We need time—what if I find I hate your table manners?"

"I have excellent table manners," he huffed.

"But maybe your high and mighty table manners drive me crazy, eating with the correct fork and all."

"I never thought having the correct manners could do such a thing," his voice petered off. "Not hundreds, 100."

"How about 150?" she argued.

"Okay, 150," he agreed. "We go on 150 pre-planned dates. What happens after the dates?"

"Perhaps, then, you consider adding a stable to Pemberley." He looked confused but LizE said nothing else. There was silence then in the car, slightly awkward silence while Will pondered what she meant.

"I have more questions," he ventured. "Are there other rules for our dates?"

"Dates work better without strict rules. Did you want topic outlines to be covered at the first, second, and third dates?" she teased.

"No. I wanted to know if I could kiss you on the first, second, third, fiftieth, 100th, 500th and 1000th dates," he said quietly.

"Oh."

"Are there rules for that?" he said in the same soft, low voice.

"No, that falls in the best-left-to-be-seen category," she answered in almost the same whispery voice.

"Okay. Then LizE Ben, would you go on a date with me tonight?"

She could not immediately answer as her chest constricted with strong feelings. When she got control of herself enough she answered. "Yes, Will Darcy, I would love to."

"Thank you. As there is no near-by restaurant, and we are both a bit tired, may I suggest a nice dinner at home?" He did have nice manners.

"Yes, that would be lovely," she answered with a formal politeness. Then she added, "I can cook rather well."

"I did not tell Esme I would be leaving so I am sure she has something in preparation and I am sure it can be stretched for two. Especially when she knows it is you," he stole a quick glance at her and then turned again to the road.

"You have your own little family: GEO, Ned, Anne and Esme, scattered about though they may be."

"Yes, not all bound by blood, but I certainly think of them as family." She reached out to stroke his arm, the damned car setting was, indeed, not romantic.

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The car ride passed quicker than she figured. They made one stop at a seedy rest area to stretch their legs but did not linger. LizE used the time to comm Juno. "Cover for me, with Will." She almost hit send but then, just to be clear, added "Darcy" at the end. She would have a lot of explaining to do with her sister and with work. But she needed her absence from work covered and especially some sort of story woven together for her not coming home that night to the Ben household.

"I will," Juno commed back minutes after she was back in the car. LizE laughed.

They talked, sharing stories about their childhood, his, being an only child for so long and such a contrast to hers, the always large, noisy Ben house, all of the children so close in age before they finally arrived at Pemberley.

Esme fussed so much that LizE thought that she and Fancy would get along fantastically well whenever they would meet. Yes, of course, dinner could accommodate two and LizE was dragged away to a guest room while Will went to shower and change. LizE explained she had no clothes, no toiletries, nothing, but dating the CEO of Darcy Rail did have perks. Esme told her to pick out clothes at an online store which would be delivered in an hour. So LizE had a soothing bath then changed into the newly arrived items.

Dinner was lovely; there was no wine. Afterwards they sat in that same room she had once admired. She sat in a chair, her feet up on the ottoman she had coveted with her eyes, envied that day in just such a scenario with a cup of herbal tea. Her feet had to share the ottoman with Will who sat stroking her legs. She blew on her tea and took a sip.

"How goes the date?" he asked watching her.

"Heavenly so far. I hate to think of the trouble I may get into at work but I hope Juno covers sufficiently for me. You will have to whisk me back tomorrow straight away," she frowned and sipped.

"I could drive you home tonight," he offered.

"That is not possible; you need your sleep, all well-bred horses do," a slight smile graced her lips then she sipped again, stretched her legs out onto his lap. He continued to stroke her legs, her thighs all the while without taking his eyes off of her teacup.

"What else should we do on our first date?" A hand snaked up to stoke her hip.

"Do you have a karaoke set?" she smiled and sipped, both hands on the teacup but her eyes never leaving his either.

"GEO might; I could ask Esme."

"Don't bother Esme, perhaps we can just sing acapella?" she sipped once more and then put her teacup down on the table next to her. He managed to reach over and scoop her from her chair and pull her onto his lap and into his arms in one movement.

"Acapella," kissing her until they both could no longer breathe, "yes, acapella."

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They made love with the desperate hunger of two people separated by circumstance, striving to make up every minute lost by the stupidity and awkwardness that had separated them but bound by the profound realization that they belonged together.

Afterwards, they talked of how their love had begun; the small discoveries that had highlighted the path that had led them to that moment that they should be together, warm and entangled, hidden in an overly large bed at Pemberley.

10


	59. Chapter 59

Chapter 59

"My dear LizE, where did you go with Will Darcy?" asked Juno. She stood hands on hips just inside the closed door of LizE's lab. If she was attempting the stern big sister look it was not working.

"We went to Pemberley," said LizE looking up from her work.

"Pemberley! All the way down there and back, why?" Juno stood with her back against the closed door.

"We went on a date."

It was not the answer Juno was expecting and she opened her mouth in shock. She took a step forward.

"You are joking," choked out Juno.

"Well this is a bad beginning. If you don't believe me, no one will. I had all my faith wrapped up in _your_ understanding that he still loves me and we're to try dating," declared LizE with a hand on her chin and a smile on her face that danced up to her eyes.

Juno heard her sister's usual saucy tone but could not make out the reality of the words.

"I can't keep up LizE. You disliked him so much but he wrote you that letter and you told me you had changed your mind, admitted you were wrong about him as regards to George, but that was months ago. And you haven't said anything to me, anything more. Then yesterday Will shows up at our house, before the sun is up to say he has to speak to you and did I have an idea as to how to help him? He didn't really say _why_ he had to speak to you and I wasn't sure if you wanted to hear from him because you two had not spoken, not really, when he was here three weeks ago. But he insisted, so I said you would probably be in the greenhouses after your Monday staff meeting." She spoke, taking a few more steps inwards.

"He found me. He still loves me Juno. He has given me three chances—three—what man would do that? And we're to try dating."

"That seems so odd a change from your…beginnings if I can say so."

"We need to forget how we started, start anew, date like other people do, then, perhaps, we might return to proposals," and her eyes sparkled and teased again.

"LizE! I still don't know if you are joking or serious," Juno seemed half embarrassed, half concerned.

"I think, J, after our first date last night, that the other 149 are just going to be line items we tick off of a spreadsheet before we do get married," declared LizE more serious and determined. Juno had to come sit down to truly absorb everything LizE was saying.

"You really _are_ serious!" Juno cried then sat still to think about everything for many minutes.

"Yes."

"You really love Will Darcy? Think so far ahead of marrying him, after you history?" LizE could see something in Juno's eyes that though she was perfectly happy living with Chaz they had not spoken of marriage.

"There is no doubt in my mind J. I am happy _with_ him, miserable _without_ him. But what do you think? Don't you think it is a good idea?"

"I've always liked him you know that. It would make me and Chaz quite happy if you were together. We've talked of little else since Will showed up yesterday but it seemed so unlikely. But do you love him enough? Care for him enough? Are you sure you feel love and it's not something else?" She was still in concerned big sister mode.

"Oh yes. You will only think I feel more than I should when I confess," her saucy tone was back.

"Confess what?"

"That I adore Will more than Chaz."

"LizE—be serious!" cried an exasperated Juno. "How _long_ have you loved him, LizE?

"After staying up half the night in his bed at Pemberley. It _really_ is that much better with the right person." That shut up Juno who gasped, blushed and suddenly had to find a point on a wall to stare at. LizE walked over to clasp her sister's hand in her own. "Really J, it sort of crept up on me." And she explained the change in her opinions and feelings that summer. Explained the trip to Lambton and its off-shoot to Pemberley. Explained her reluctance to mention them to Juno because she had seen Chaz. To cap it off, she mentioned what he had done for Luna. Juno took it all in and and declared she was satisfied.

They could have talked all afternoon but guilt made LizE eventually return to work to play catch up for her lost day.

* * *

She worked late, far past closing time. Bob was still in the parking lot and she could drive him home to face her family but LizE did not know where Will was or whether they would see each other that evening. She could only assume he would stay with Chaz and Juno, to be close; they had not talked immediate next steps though he did say he would look at leasing a house in the area so they could date while she worked. They did not discuss or seem to assume they would follow in Chaz and Juno's steps and live together. To live together meant they would do that at Pemberley, to live at Pemberley meant they would marry. LizE hoped she might be able to find a permanent field work assignment at a future date. That was the future, tonight she had to figure out if she had another date with Will or if she was to simply go home and catch up on sleep. He did not immediately answer her comm so she drove Bob home.

Fancy fussed and lectured but seemed inclined to accept the story that Juno had shared with their mother of dinner and drinks and of sleeping at Juno and Chaz's house. She did not notice LizE's new clothes. LizE showered and changed and then ate with her family, helping to clean up when her comm screen rang. It was not from Will but from Juno: "come meet us for drinks at the Turnbull Café." Fancy, being her usual nosy self wanted to know who it was from and LizE could hand the innocent-reading comm to her mother.

She set out happily knowing there were three waiting for her at the café. Will's arms welcomed her and he slipped in an apology for having been asleep when she commed. Chaz unexpectedly gave her a brotherly side-hug when Will released her with a whispered "congratulations." She was not sure what she and Will really had to be congratulated for but that Chaz and Juno were happy for her and Will was evident.

The Turnbull Café was not a posh L.A. bar but as it was the only alcohol-serving place in town, they sat at a table and ordered drinks, beer for Will and LizE, wine for Chaz and Juno. Chaz beamed, his beautiful white teeth gleaming; he seemed far more excited at the idea that Will and LizE were together than they were and wanted to play the role of father confessor, teasing their history from the two reluctant lovers. They were both tired, from a long drive, a long night and a relationship that had taken a long time to get to an understanding to; they both seemed to want to enjoy it in quiet and in private and not be in a café talking with the ever chatty Chaz Bingley. LizE _knew_ she was happy but seemed to not be able to _feel_ happy or at least show that she was to Chaz and her sister in a room full of people when she was tired after a day of work and deception after her missing hours of work. Juno and Chaz talked, laughed and enjoyed their wine. LizE and Will sipped their beer and were far quieter. LizE was brought back to the conversation by Juno, "how will you let Fancy know?"

"I don't know. I don't know how she will react." She looked at Will, "I'm not sure she has as high an opinion of you as she does of Chaz," and she made a face as she sipped her beer.

"That sounds very diplomatic; you mean she doesn't like me," said Will with a smile.

"She doesn't know you," her voice dropped as she put a weary head on his arm and he reached his own to wrap it around her and pull her close.

"We'll get there," he assured her. "She'll have to get used to it once you move in with me," and he laid his head atop of hers.

"Not for 149 more dates," she raised her voice a little.

"Does this count as one?"

"No—we didn't pre-plan it—that's one of the rules," she poked him in the chest. He leaned over to pull her in for a kiss with Juno and Chaz watching with astonished eyes.

"Are you sure it doesn't count?" he asked again when he released her.

She sighed, poked him again. "Yes." He groaned, but gathered her up for a hug and kissed her on the top of her head.

* * *

He drove her home. She agreed because she was so tired; Will arguing he had a nap and had not had to work. They could have lingered out in front of the Ben house but practically won and she entered her home forty hours after so much had changed since she left it on Monday morning. It was dark and she snuck in, snaking through the house considering whether to head straight to bed or see if anyone else was awake. There was a light in the kitchen and she decided she did not want to find out who was still up. She retreated up the stairs to her room and changed for bed.

It was on her return from the bathroom that she ran into her brother. He had a jacket on as if he had been outside, probably had been out in his greenhouse.

"LizE…" it was an odd voice that called to her, one she almost did not recognize.

"Mark? What's up? Is something wrong?"

"Can I talk to you?"

"Yes." They trooped into her bedroom out of the dark hallway. He shuffled in behind, not looking at her.

"I had a comm from John Lucas who had it from Phil who was at the Café tonight that you and Will Darcy are…an item." It was an unexpected disclosure and she was surprised though only a little; she was honestly more tired than anything else and they had been in a public place. "You're not dating him only because he's helped us out of a tight corner with Luna? Didn't you hate him once upon a time? Don't do something just out of gratitude, no matter how big the gesture." He crossed his arms then to look at her so like Juno had that afternoon that LizE almost laughed at how similar the two siblings were.

"No. Mark, no," and she leaned over and hugged him and then shook him, playfully, "no!" She stood back to put her hands gently on his arms. "I'm in love with him." He looked shocked and disbelieving and though tired and very affected by the deep concern from her only brother she earnestly assured Mark that she loved Will Darcy, explaining her gradual change of sentiments towards him and their plans to date and not rush towards a quick affiliation.

"He's to find a house in Meryton. I'll stay here and won't move out like Juno. But yes, to answer your question, we are an item."

"Mom will be so pleased!" LizE and Mark jumped as Mara stood in her pajamas and slippers with a big grin on her face in the doorway.

"Is everyone awake? Does everyone know?" cried LizE raising her hands to her cheeks which heated up.

"KitE will as soon as I tell her," said Mara rushing off in the true style of younger siblings.

* * *

Fancy was thrilled. LizE may not have moved out and Will Darcy may have rented a significantly smaller house than Chaz (and had no stellar housekeeper like Cassandra Nicholls) but he was still the CEO of Darcy Rail _and_ he was incredibly handsome. A point Fancy dwelt upon, at length. "You don't have to marry him, LizE, but consider how beautiful your children will be." Now Fancy could dream of dark-eyed grandbabies along with her thoughts of bonny, blue-eyed ones.

Tom seemed to take LizE's beau in stride, never speaking to her specifically about it though the mornings she left for work with a packed bag he would raise an eyebrow as if to inquire where she was going and the evenings she returned, having missed the previous family meal, he seemed to talk to her more about her day and her experiences.


	60. Chapter 60

Chapter 60

On their third date they had decided to stay in and to each pick a movie to watch while curled up on a rather stiff and uncomfortable leather sofa at Will's newly rented, furnished house but they ended up talking in bed instead.

"Why were you so shy, so distant? You looked like you did not care at all about me," she sat next to him watching her own movements as she traced her toes underneath the covers at the end of the bed.

"You wouldn't look at me—you skipped over me every time I tried to catch your eye during the meeting that first morning," he watched her with the sweetest smile though she continued to study her toes.

"You were so grave, so business-like and then I yelled at you and ruined it all, set the wrong tone and it went sour," she stopped her movements but did not look up.

"You didn't yell," he reached over to touch her, ran the tips of his fingers through her hair. "If I felt less, I might have been able to be more animated, but it is impossible to stifle my feelings, it was a situation where I could let you _and_ everyone else know how I felt or I had to keep _all_ my feelings under wraps; a sort of all or nothing situation," his fingers traced an ear.

"And we only had those three chances to speak that week and nothing came of them," she turned to look at him, "and then you went away."

"I could not tell you how I felt in the conference room with an audience, or in the hallway when someone might come, and circumstances were against us at your parents' house," something, a little guilt perhaps crossed his face then. "My stated reason for coming to Meryton was to support Chaz in both his business and his love interests but my _real_ purpose was to see you and to judge, if I could, whether I had any chance with you."

"Did you know that Chaz would ask Juno to move in with him?"

"It had been obvious from watching them that morning that they had feelings for each other; despite ten months apart their affection was but banked coals and I had wondered about that incident at the party and meant to ask around about the man during my week's stay but you filled me in, pointed out, to my sincere regret, that I had been profoundly wrong. I assumed Chaz would take some sort of action when I left."

"So you gave him your okay? I suspected that was the case." Will protested over the wording but she poked him and he grabbed her hand and kissed her fingertips.

"As he dropped me off to pick up my car he said he was ready to nest with Juno," he smiled, grinned and then lost his train of thought pulling LizE to him and kissing her in as many places as he could above the sheet that covered them. Several minutes later he took her hand, laying back on his pillows to continue to press kisses to it.

"Chaz?" she asked, pulling her hand free to stroke his collarbone. He groaned at the touch but moved up a little in bed so her hand fell in the middle of his chest.

"Chaz was worried Juno was not ready for such a step as moving in with him. I don't think he is ready to marry, frankly," he looked at LizE steadily who appreciated the honest remark, "but he was quite worried that morning though he would not say why. He had some specific fear that your sister may not agree to move in. But I gave him my blessing and I also told him that I had known she had come to L.A. in the winter but I had concealed her visit from him. He was angry then, but nervous with thoughts of asking her. It has obviously worked out and he has forgiven me for my damned interference."

"I think what was worrying Chaz _that_ particular day was the fact that my sister Juno has—or rather had—never slept with anyone." He did not say anything; it was not a statement a gentleman could really comment on though he did continue to play with her hair. "As long as we're baring our souls," she turned to look at him, tracing her hand over his chest, "Uncle Ezra commed me about what you did for Luna and for Brian. I've waited to say something to tell you how grateful I am—for what you did for my sister—really for the whole family. I don't want you to think I am ungrateful, since I've known for months," she felt like she was stumbling over her words, "I also didn't want you to think my knowing would somehow make me want to be with you, out of some sense of obligation." She stroked his chest more, "because I am only here, in your bed, in your arms because I love you." He had stiffened while she spoke, startled as she explained but she continued, her warm hand on his chest and she ran the other up to his hair, pulled herself up to kiss him until he could not question, ever, what Mark had once asked her as a concerned sibling.

"When I resolved to find your sister and the other intern it was only for your sake," he brushed her tousled hair from her forehead, "to alleviate the pain that haunted you as you shared that horrendous story. I only thought of helping you." It was her turn for silence as she did not know how to respond to such a declaration. He played with her hair, traced a finger around her chin and down her neck.

"How did you know how to get them patched up?" She sat up to look over at Will. LizE did not want to bring up GEO's plight but he had done this twice now, how did a transportation owner happen to known black-market surgeons? It made no more sense than her uncle knowing them.

He reached over to tug the fallen sheet up to cover LizE a little more modestly and to not distract him. "That was Ned's doing. Those were his contacts."

"But how does an import/export manager have such contacts?"

"Ah," he said, sitting up and disturbing the just-fixed sheet but grinning, "Ned is not quite what he appears." She looked at him but he stayed silent, his grin schooled to a small smile on his face until she pinched him in annoyance. Then he pursed his lips as he rubbed his side. "Ned's cover is that he works for a company, Universal Exports, he actually works in intelligence for the government."

She had to absorb that for a minute sitting still in the bed. He had always seemed so straight-forward, middle-business-manager type. "You mean like a spy?"

"Yes," he rubbed his side again.

"So we owe a lot to him," she whispered.

"A great deal." And she knew that he included both the restoration of GEO as well as Luna in those three words. She reached over to massage the spot where she had pinched him. His eyes followed her hand to his side and then trailed it up her arm to the half of her exposed to the air above the bed clothes.

"How is he doing? How is Spencer?" her voice called him back to her eyes, "Catherine fired Spencer in part because he was sharing some of his games with me but I guess she also found out about Ned and Spencer—not that I had a clue. I think Ned tried to tell me about the two of them that last day at Rosings but couldn't quite get it out." She had a pained look on her face which made Will reach out to cup a hand to her cheek.

"It speaks a lot of how much he valued your friendship to even share anything with you. Beyond Anne and me, I don't know that he's told anyone else. In some ways he has painted himself into a corner with not wanting to acknowledge the relationship with Spencer; Ned claims work keeps him too busy, that his job is too dangerous and he fears for Spencer's safety. I think he is just too scared to commit."

"Odd to think someone in his line of work would be scared."

"Spencer is perhaps too patient to keep waiting though his deliberately choosing a job with Aunt Catherine has to have been annoying."

"What is Spencer to do?"

"He is so very talented I am sure he will land at the top of whatever he wishes to do."

"Yes, there doesn't seem to be anything he can't do." She relaxed again. "I haven't commed Anne since, well since yours and my first date. I owe her that."

Will turned in bed fully to look at her. "She resigned last Monday. After Aunt Catherine's failed attempt to get me to refuse to ever date or marry you," he could not help but kiss her again, "she returned to Marin to take her wrath out on Anne. I can only imagine what Catherine said or threatened Anne with knowing she wanted Anne and me to marry to merge the two companies. But Anne has resigned her post and moved out."

"What will happen to de Bour Shipping—who will be her heir?"

"Uncle Henri has two other children; she may choose one of them. Catherine may reconsider and choose Anne as her heir in time."

"She's all alone now. No Spencer Jinks or Anne Oakham fawning attention on her, how shall she manage? Only cousin William to bow down to her. Do you suppose she'll give her money to the church?"

"She may give _some_ money to the church but after hearing her rant and rave about family and empires and being unable to rid her from my house for the better part of a day I think she will calm down and still choose a blood relative, or Anne, for de Bour Shipping," he answered.

"Would she ever consider GEO?"

"She might, though Catherine never really had GEO in her sights, so to speak. It isn't something GEO wants to do, running an empire. She is still recovering." LizE sat straight up to watch him lie back on the pillows; she put a hand on his arm to stroke it. "But her painting helps a lot, the structure of school helps even if her grades are not what she thinks they should be and she is happy to have met you."

"Me?"

"Yes, I have never considered the, perhaps, pretentious and sometimes unreal and disconnected world we both grew up in, having money is isolating, and then, well Geroge happened to her and it shattered the both of us and we've been unable to heal in some ways but then you happened and you are real, sincere," LizE leaned over him and whispered "impertinent" and he broke off to gather her on top of him, fall back down onto the bed and devour her lips, cheeks, ears and throat with kisses and they forgot about their conversation.

* * *

"So you came back," she prompted over the breakfast table, "you came back to Meryton to try to decide if I could be persuaded, with all of my faults, my sauciness, to love you and you did not say a word."

He looked sheepish, "yes, I came back and spent a whole damned week trying to figure out how to talk to you and never could do it. I would walk by your lab and you weren't there, and you were never in your office."

"I was hiding in the greenhouses a lot because I was miserable about you," she made a face.

"Chaz told me about the party at your parents' house and I hoped to talk to you then, but there was such a crush of people and they all had these inane things to say to me and I could see you across the room but it was like I couldn't get to you," he explained.

"Wait, even my brother?" she had distinctly remembered that Will had talked to two people that evening, her brother and Edi Long.

"No, your brother and I had the only decent conversation that night, but that friend of your sister tackled me, Evelyn," he looked embarrassed and LizE was not sure if she wanted to alleviate his embarrassment or not.

"Edi, Edi Long," she offered.

"Somehow we got to talking about riding and I said I had met the family horse, Rowan—you remember that night you introduced me?" He looked across his coffee cup at her and she recalled that slightly tipsy evening with Caro Van Hale and all the flirting and double entendres flying around.

"Yes, have you told Caro about us?" she led him off-subject.

"No, why?" his coffee cup hovered mid-air.

"Have you never realized she's had it on her wish list to be Mrs. William H. G. Darcy?" He put his coffee cup down with a thump.

"No. She's friendly and a very loyal employee, but…"

"Perhaps you spend too much time with spreadsheets and compartmentalize items and do the same with people. That much has been obvious to me since the first week I met her."

"That complicates my working relationship with her," he frowned into his brew.

"But it isn't really a reason to fire her."

"No."

"Perhaps she can go and work for your aunt?" suggested LizE.

"Perhaps she can."

"So Rowan?" she prompted.

He looked guilty but looked up at her. "I was thinking of you and Rowan and that night and if there was a moment when I truly felt it was a tipping point it was watching you feed the horse those apples. That was when I felt you were dangerous to me; I knew you had gotten under my skin. I was smitten; I was in love."

"Dangerous, hmmm," she looked at him; her held tilted down, looking up at him in an attempt at a coquette but then laughed. "Somehow I do not feel dangerous."

"So Evi," he continued.

"Edi,"she corrected without thinking.

"Edi said she would take me to the barn to show me Rowan and you were talking to one of those business man's sons, so I went and I went without _thinking_," and he groaned.

"Edi had her radar on you the day you showed up at the Grand Gala the first day Chaz was here; she can smell money," said LizE in a sympathetic tone.

"It was not pleasant," something like disgust was in his voice, "but she had been drinking and then to compound it you saw us come back in, but I also could not let her drive home; so I followed her out."

"I can't imagine that drive home," offered LizE.

"I didn't drive her home; my car was in the shop. I called George at Meryton Motors, he sometimes does taxi service. He came to collect her and I went to hide with Rowan until Chaz was ready to go—he drove that night."

"You spent the rest of the night in the barn with Rowan!" cried LizE, one hand grasping the tabletop.

"Yes, he's a companionable horse."

"I was fifty feet away in the summer house! We could have resolved things so much sooner." She tore a piece off of her toast and threw it at him; it landed in his coffee cup.


	61. Chapter 61

Chapter 61

Mr. Charles Alexander Bingley and Ms. Juno Alexandra Ben are ecstatic to announce the birth of their son: Thomas Charles Alexander Bingley, born July 8, 2069. Weight: 8 lbs. 7 ounces, Height: 21 inches.

* * *

Baby Thomas had not been what Juno had considered when she moved in with Chaz, but all her well laid-out plans for making senior scientist and tenure by age thirty had flown out the window when she had met Chaz in the fall of 2067. Plans change, and sometimes they are more wonderful than you could have possibly imagined. Just as Fancy had predicted, her and Chaz's child had a shock of red hair and bright blue eyes and made his grandmother and his great aunt weep tears because he was so beautiful and so tiny and so perfect. What no one could have ever imagined was the effect such a birth could have on his grandfather: the grandfather who never left his lab or ever set foot outside his house if he could help it. His namesake grandson was his joy and his delight and a day rarely passed that he did not venture over to their house to see him, most often uninvited. There was not one moment, one milestone that Tom Ben wanted to miss seeing. Between his grandfather and his father's care and that of a hired nanny, Juno felt ready after several months at home, to be able to work again and not fear that baby Thomas would ever need for care.

Lois had commed her brother and Juno some indifferent and rather insincere sentiments about the prospect of being an aunt when the news had been shared the previous Christmas. She and her husband Kai were too tangled up in their own selves to ever step out of the unreal world that money bought them.

* * *

After 147 dates, and on a hot sunny day in Marin, on the first Saturday in October, 2069, Elizabeth Frances Ben wed William Henri Gerard Darcy at the Longborn Church, newly founded by Anne Oakham and other members of her house church. In the time since her resignation from Catherine de Bour's service, Anne and her fellow members had worked to establish a more permanent church despite the local prejudice. And with such a prestigious wedding it was not likely to face difficulties over being an old-fashioned religion.

Charlotte Collins had been happy for her friend and attended without any misgivings, but her husband had considered that it might give the Grand Zephyr doubts as to William C.'s heart and he might be punished for straying. But his love and even worship of the upper classes won him over and he attended with his wife. He was not one to lose the bragging rights.

Caro Van Hale had been mortified at the announcement of LizE and Will's wedding and though she had retained her position with Darcy Rail until then, she did eventually accept a post as second in command with de Bour Shipping. Caro was of different stock than the ever-efficient yet invisible Anne, but the two strong-willed women, Caro and Catherine, found some measure of success in working with each other. Caro found the financial inducements to be quite gratifying, if she must work, why not for Catherine de Bour? And it allowed her to keep tabs on the Pemberley family—she continued to be sweet on GEO, attentive to Will and developed a new level of civility for LizE.

Aunt Catherine refused to come to the wedding. She also still refused to consider who would replace her at de Bour Shipping, but both of the other FitzWilliam siblings had established careers of their own, and neither had backgrounds amenable to running a shipping empire. It seemed likely that she would relent and give at least some of the control to Anne, though she had developed this new interest in molding GEO to a shipping empress.

This GEO steadfastly resisted, having decided to pursue art rather than economics at Uni. Her recovery from her own ordeal was still on a slow path but it was helped out by her blossoming friendship with LizE. As part of her recovery, she dropped the vogue of the shortened name GEO (Georgiana Elizabeth Olivia) and began to be known as Georgiana, a name now signed to all her paintings. Still painfully shy and her treatment at George Wickham's hands had scared her, but her recovery was regaining what she had lost, that joyful, cheeky and mostly happy self that LizE had seen in that teenage photograph. Having a jubilant and cheeky sister-in-law to welcome her home at Christmas and on other school holidays was of immense help; it was even better when they could gang up on her brother to tease or play tricks on him.

Catherine never considered Ned as one of her potential heirs; it was as if he would be forever saddled with some debt to be paid for his father's infractions. He was able to change his position and refocus though still working for the Intelligence Agency but finally making time for Spencer. Spencer had initially landed, as predicted, on his feet with a similar odd-jobs man post with a rich widow in Las Vegas, but he and Ned were able to settle together back east in a house. Spencer could finally for care someone he loved.

All of LizE's family attended her wedding, baby Thomas being cared for happily by a half dozen Bens and one competent nanny. Fancy wept, which surprised no one; she and her sister Lily came armed with plenty of tissues but had to share them with Esme who wept, perhaps, more than the other two. Tom Ben escorted his second child down the aisle, "not giving me away, just seeing me off," she and her father had agreed, but when he got to the narthex he had paused and when Will had reached out for LizE's hand Tom had held onto her for a few more heartbeats before he had kissed her tenderly and then, with reluctance, placed her hand in Will's own.

KitE, courtesy of her new brother-in-law, had flown, actually _flown_ home from North Carolina for the weekend where she was attending Uni. Luna had arrived by rail, and was to travel back again the same way (her schooling less imperative that it was acceptable to miss a few more days than KitE). In the coming spring, when she would reach her eighteenth birthday, Mara was to travel out to Florida to see her and talk to her with the psychiatrists help, of her real ordeals. Mark had been unable to keep the details about Luna's plight and her recovery from his twin. It had shocked Mara, but also stirred something in her, probably the same stirring that had caused her to want to go fetch Luna when she came back to them the first time; it was why they were such a tight-knit if somewhat loopy family: they all loved and cared for each other. Mara vowed to stay with Luna while she worked through her memory recovery and worked through her ordeal. For now, Luna was still hell-bent on soldiering, though if it gave her a reason for keeping her grades up, no one minded.

Mark almost missed his older sister's wedding as a five month rail trip in Europe, again courtesy of his new brother-in-law, to study various forms of engineering and railway construction kept being expanded upon and he ended up taking the trans-Siberian train out of Europe to continue his studies. He arrived in San Francisco by ship with only a week to spare and four months later than he intended.

The Gardiners were pleased and delighted with the news. Uncle Ezra felt like it was a just resolution of what he had seen even as far back as their visit to Pemberley and for sure had determined when he worked with Will in Los Angeles with the two interns. Aunt Meg mulled on the fact that she had, perhaps, been a little too analytical about the entire thing, too much of an engineer when she ought to have allowed for passion and love.

The couple felt forever indebted to Anne, who, in manipulating her employer into agreeing to LizE's visit had set in motion the whole turn of events that had ultimately united them.

LizE and Will honeymooned in the California wine country at various hotels, but interestingly their trip included not a single wine tour.


	62. Chapter 62

A/N Overall Story

Carriages, back in the day, are such a status symbol that I tried to use cars as a symbol of wealth, albeit a subtle one, in the story. So Darcy, Chaz and Aunt Catherine all drive nice cars, but everyone else who has one has a sub-compact one, or a cantankerous one (like Bob). What was never fleshed out was the idea that the lower classes used rail a lot more (hence Darcy Rail was a thriving business) for people moving as well as general goods transportation. That the maintenance of rail lines by private companies succeeded where maintenance of roads, with failing governments, did not was also an idea I did not flesh out. I did touch on the fact that no one flies, and passports and visas are difficult and that rail and shipping are the purview of the rich.

It was a total whim that I made Mrs. Jenkins a man and chose Jinks as a name—I simply liked the name, but Ned was always going to be a spy (his saying at his job he "lies, cheats, and steals"). And then that little bit of creativity hits you and I paired them up which gave a great little side story. Ned likes his job, _loves_ Spencer but blames his aunt for his issues, and perhaps drinks a little too much because of it (though he is a little impotent about deciding to do anything). Spencer _loves_ Ned, hates Ned's job and chose to hole up in a safe place where he was not affected by Ned's career choice and be a Penelope, a multi-talented Penelope, suffering while he waits for his Odysseus to finally come home.

I listened to a recorded book version of P&amp;P where the pronunciation of de Bourgh was de Bore (not de Burg), which gave me the idea for shortening Catherine's name here to 'Bour' to emphasis what a BORE she truly was. I then went overboard with that idea and thought about everything using a nickname of sorts which is why I shortened everyone's names. And Jane became Juno because in Austen Bingley calls her an Angel, so here she is a goddess: Juno. Which lead to my using Luna as Lydia had too many syllables.

I liked both my Darcy and Elizabeth here and really, if nothing else, this was a great exercise in helping to flesh out motivations and get inside each of the character's heads. And hitting up about Anne Darcy being like her sister Catherine! So many stories have her being this patient, much-missed, much-loved figure, but I don't know that I have read one where she is, by temperament, like her sister. What if someone wrote a story where she lived and she AND her sister ganged up on Darcy to force the issue with Anne?

It was fun to try to keep to the original yet keep to their character, so making Jane a workaholic to account for her demureness/distractedness; or creating a home life that was difficult for Charlotte to account for her being impulsive enough to marry William Collins.

Lydia/Luna is still the same wild and impulsive and such fun to write. Mary/Mara was a little more difficult to stay true, and I am not sure what sort of job I did there, but loved her giving a long boring lecture at a party. It is difficult to write unsympathetic characters so I feel bad that I redeemed her at the end instead of making her the moralizer.

Now that I am done I am unhappy with some early bits and in particular with the quarantine arc so may try to go destroy and rewrite it now that I have a far better handle on the product.

I keep finishing up a story and finding how much I like Mrs. Bennet. She is such a delightful character to work with and play with. Here I had fun with all of her children calling her not Mom but by her first name Fancy. This is from true life. I have an auntie whose children all call her by her first name—interestingly she (my Auntie Tess) is quite similar to Mrs. Bennet in a lot of ways. I think Mark or Juno once called her "Mom," but otherwise she is the force known as Fancy Ben. It is like she is a character (as in force of nature) instead of this loving mommy.

There was a whole background I outlined in pages of notes because I wanted this dark dystopian story line about plummeting birthrates and disease, colony collapse syndrome, viruses, famine, ethanol collapse, GMO issues and a pandemic which I never ever touched on. I hint here and there about it (Meryton power plant, bio vehicles, Luxor virus pandemic, etc.). Perhaps I may rewrite this again with all these plugged in. There are only so many hours in a day, alas. I already have the next P&amp;P fanfict outlined and a reader suggested another one that I cannot get out of my brain (period Colonel FitzMaurice prominent one), so that may take me through until 2017.


End file.
